Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey expressed his disagreement with Arsenal’s second goal in their match against Southampton, arguing that it should have been ruled out for offside. The incident occurred during Arsenal’s weekend win at the Emirates Stadium.
Southampton took the lead when Cameron Archer scored, but Arsenal quickly responded with an equalizer from Kai Havertz. By the 68th minute, Gabriel Martinelli put Arsenal ahead with a controversial goal.
The goal was reviewed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for a potential offside. However, after reviewing the footage, the VAR confirmed the goal, stating that Martinelli was onside and that Mikel Merino, who was in an offside position, had no impact on the play.
The Premier League’s official statement explained that the referee’s decision to award the goal was confirmed by VAR, as Martinelli was in an onside position, and Merino’s presence did not influence the play.
Despite this, Halsey believes the officials made an error. While he acknowledges that Martinelli himself was onside, he argues that Merino, who was in an offside position, interfered with the play and obstructed Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
Speaking on The Sun’s podcast The Whistle Blower, Halsey explained that according to Law 11 on offside, a player’s action that impacts an opponent’s ability to play the ball can constitute offside.
He pointed out that Merino’s actions, particularly his attempt to challenge for the ball by jumping and ducking his head, affected Ramsdale’s ability to respond.
Halsey emphasized that Ramsdale’s reaction was influenced by Merino’s movement, as the goalkeeper appeared to anticipate contact from Merino, only for him to duck at the last moment. Halsey believes this interference should have resulted in the goal being disallowed.
Although Halsey argues that the goal should not have stood, the referee’s decision favored Arsenal. Later in the game, Bukayo Saka added a third goal, securing a 3-1 victory for Arsenal. The win leaves Arsenal in third place in the Premier League, level on points with Manchester City and just one point behind Liverpool. Despite the controversy, Arsenal maintains their unbeaten run this season.
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