Paul Merson explains why VAR should've ruled out Arsenal's winner vs Tottenham as 'foul' spotted
Paul Merson believes that Arsenal's match-winner against Tottenham Hotspur should've been ruled out by the Video Assistant Referee. Gabriel Magalhaes fired the Gunners to a 1-0 win over Ange Postecoglou's side on Sunday afternoon, bagging a third North London Derby successive victory at N17.
Shortly after the hour-mark, the 26-year-old defender broke the deadlock with a bullet header. Latching onto a brilliant delivery from Bukayo Saka, Gabriel leapt past Cristian Romero and thumped the ball past Guglielmo Vicario.
The Tottenham defender didn't appear to have an issue with the contact, nor did he attempt to protest the no-foul decision with the on-field referee, Jarred Gillett. Neither Stuart Attwell or his assistant, Constantine Hatzidakis, at Stockley Park spotted an infringement and Arsenal's goal was deemed legal.
Gabriel wheeled away in celebration, while Romero and his teammates began lining up for the restart. After the game, Merson insisted that, if he were in the Tottenham defender's position, he would expect Gillet to call a foul.
Speaking on Sky Sports, the former Gunners midfielder said: "I would be disappointed if I didn't get a foul. [Romero] is in the wrong position, everything is wrong about his defending. He's an international centre-half.
"Even I know, and I don't play at the back, that you've got to be side-on, seeing the ball and your player. To start off with you've got to be a hand-length away [from him] and he was standing with him. I do think - I'd expect a foul. I would expect a foul."
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In an interview on Sky Sports' Referee Watch show on Monday morning, Dermot Gallagher disagreed with Merson. The former Premier League official said: "It's a physical game, the referee lets a little bit go. If you think that's a foul, there's certainly a foul by the defender on the line; Romero grabs somebody rounds the waste, which is more the foul."
Speaking to reporters after the North London Derby, Postecoglou was asked how disappointed he was to concede another set-piece against Arsenal. The Spurs boss said: "Yeah, we handled them well for the most part.
"We switched off for one and you pay a price. That's what happens. It was always going to be a tight game, fine margins. And it proved to be a key moment."
Postecoglou added: "We've handled them ok. Arsenal are obviously a very big threat at set pieces. It only takes one. It wasn't just Romero, a couple of others switched off as well. The delivery was spot on and Gabriel is always a threat in those situations. We paid a price for it."