In a new review of VAR processes between game weeks 21 and 25 of the current season, the Premier League have clarified exactly why Arsenal had a late winning goal ruled out in January's 2-2 draw with Aston Villa.

In the current context ,the mood is lifting around the Emirates Stadium. With results going their own way, the team Arsenal are hunting down at the top of the Premier League table, Liverpool, have dropped points in their last to away matches.

With Arne Slot's side next travelling to play Manchester City, they have also played one match extra. By the time the Gunners have the opportunity to move level on matches played in mid-March, the current points gap of eight could be reduced to five.

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Of course this is not a given - momentum could yet swing in one challenger's direction or the other. What is guaranteed is that the pressure is increasing as the weeks go by and every point played for is precious.

That is why last month when Mikel Arteta's men relinquished a two-goal lead at home to Villa, panic stations set in. Hours beforehand their Merseyside rivals had clinched a stoppage-time victory at Brentford, when the points difference could been just two it ended the day as to six.

It was almost a very different outcome too, as Mikel Merino thought he had beaten Villa at the death with the aid of a deflection off team-mate Kai Havertz.

However, a VAR check by John Brooks cancelled out referee Chris Kavanagh's verdict.

A subsequent post on the Premier League Match Centre account on X read: "The Arsenal goal was awarded on-field. The VAR established that the ball hit Havertz's arm immediately before entering the goal and recommended that the goal was disallowed."

The Gunners will rue those dropped points, though in their latest review the Premier League have maintained that the correct call was reached that afternoon.

"In Arsenal’s clash with Aston Villa during Match Round 22, a Mikel Merino shot deflected off Kai Havertz and went into the goal," they explain.

"The on-field decision was goal, but during the VAR check, it was established that the final touch was off Havertz’s right arm, and the goal was disallowed for handball.

"IFAB, the game’s lawmakers, clarify that it is an offence for a player to score a goal 'directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental'. As there was clear factual evidence that the ball hit Havertz’s arm on its way into the net, the VAR was able to recommend that the goal be disallowed without the need for the referee to review at the pitch side monitor."

With other similar incidents to draw comparison, it is added: "During Nottingham Forest’s match with Brighton & Hove Albion in Match Round 24, there were calls for Neco Williams’ goal to be ruled out for a potential handball offence by his teammate, Ibrahim Sangare, in the build-up.

"The goal scorer is always penalised for an accidental handball, but the interpretation of the handball law differs if the potential offence is by a teammate prior to the goal being scored, with the officials having to decide whether it was a deliberate action."

"In this instance, Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh and Sangare both fell to the floor after challenging for the ball, which subsequently bounced off the arm of Sangare and rolled into the path of Williams, who scored.

"The referee deemed that the handball was accidental, with Sangare’s arms in a justifiable position to break his fall and awarded the goal. The replays confirmed the accidental handball and therefore there was no VAR intervention."

At the end of their update, the Premier League confirm that their Key Match Incident (KMI) panel - introduced in the 2022/23 season to independently referee calls - have found statistical improvement in VAR decisions.

Deeming that there have been 13 total mistakes made after VAR reviews at this stage of the season, this is a decrease from the 24 by the same point of the 2023/24 campaign.