Arsenal have received clarification regarding the controversial decision to deny Liverpool a penalty after Jurrien Timber was accused of pulling Alexander Isak's shirt during Sunday's Premier League meeting at Anfield.

As reported by Football London on Monday, November 2, 2026, former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher believes the VAR team had a challenging decision to make, suggesting that overturning the referee's original call could have led to criticism for attempting to "re-referee" the match.

Arsenal secured all three points with a 1-0 win, courtesy of Kai Havertz's goal in the 16th minute. However, Liverpool were left frustrated after their penalty appeal was rejected when Timber appeared to prevent Isak from getting on the end of a cross inside the visitors' penalty area.

Match referee Andy Madley chose not to award a spot-kick, and VAR official Stuart Attwell subsequently decided against recommending an intervention because there was insufficient evidence to overturn the decision.

Speaking about the incident, Gallagher highlighted how the available camera angles influenced the assessment, while admitting that Timber had taken a considerable gamble with his challenge.

"It depends which angle you watch it from. The first angle, you see nothing. That is the referee's angle," he explained.

"The second angle, which is what VAR looks at, and it is a lot more damning."

Gallagher continued by pointing out the difficult position facing the VAR officials.

"VAR would be accused of re-refereeing if it is a penalty. It is a case of damned if they do and damned if they don't."

Despite understanding why VAR did not intervene, the former referee conceded that Timber was lucky to avoid giving away a penalty.

"The more I watch it, the more I think he [Timber] has taken a big chance and has got lucky," he added.

The decision attracted criticism from several prominent football figures. Former Arsenal forward Ian Wright was among those who disagreed with the officials, arguing that Isak should not have been required to exaggerate the incident or fall to the ground to earn a penalty.

"It's obvious he's pulled is shirt. Why does he need to dive? He shouldn't have to make more of it," Wright commented.

Jamie Carragher, a former Liverpool defender, also voiced his frustration, stressing that Timber's shirt pull prevented one of the Premier League's most prolific forwards from reaching the ball.

Former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood also criticised the decision, believing that VAR should have recommended that Madley review the incident using the pitchside monitor.

On the other hand, Gallagher dismissed Liverpool's additional penalty claim involving Cody Gakpo and Christos Tzolis, explaining that the ball had travelled beyond the forward's reach.

The disputed incident has reignited conversations about the consistency and reliability of VAR in the Premier League. Nevertheless, Arsenal held on to their 1-0 victory and moved to the summit of the league table.