OFFICIAL: Premier League makes hot ruling on Arsenal's win

The Premier League organizing committee has issued an official announcement following the controversial incident in the match between Arsenal and Newcastle United.

In this match, Arsenal secured a 1-0 victory at Emirates Stadium to reclaim the top spot in the standings. The sole goal was scored by Eberechi Eze, while Newcastle remains in 14th place after suffering their ninth defeat in the last 12 Premier League matches.

Nevertheless, the focal point of the match stemmed from a contentious incident involving goalkeeper Nick Pope. In his first return to the starting lineup after two months, the keeper rushed outside the penalty area and collided forcefully with forward Viktor Gyokeres.

Pope did not touch the ball and only fouled the opponent at a considerable distance from the goal. Referee Sam Barrott decided to issue a yellow card, prompting strong reactions from Arsenal players and fans.

Emirates Stadium erupted when the large screen announced VAR was reviewing a potential red card, but ultimately the initial decision was upheld and Pope continued to play. Throughout the remainder of the match, every time he touched the ball, the goalkeeper faced jeers from the home crowd.

Explaining this decision, the Premier League's match operations center stated: “The decision to show a yellow card to Pope was reviewed and confirmed by VAR. The incident was not considered a clear denial of a goalscoring opportunity (DOGSO) because a Newcastle defender was nearby and capable of controlling the ball.”

After the match, Manager Mikel Arteta expressed dissatisfaction with the referee's decision: “That was clearly a red card. If you watch football, you know it's a red card. This situation is identical to last week when Kai Havertz had a chance facing the goal.” He further emphasized: “In the title race, we need everything to go in our favor. That was a clear red card.”