Premier League Explains Controversial Penalty Decision Against Arsenal in 1-1 Draw with Everton

Arsenal were left frustrated after a controversial penalty decision helped Everton earn a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park — and now, the Premier League has explained why the referee’s call was allowed to stand.

The drama began just one minute into the second half when Arsenal’s young midfielder Myles Lewis-Skelly was involved in a physical battle with Everton’s Jack Harrison inside the penalty area. Both players were seen tugging at each other’s shirts, but referee Darren England believed Lewis-Skelly went too far and awarded a penalty to Everton.

Arsenal players immediately surrounded the referee, protesting the decision. Many fans and pundits watching the replay were unsure if the foul even took place inside the box.

However, after checking the footage, VAR backed the referee’s decision and told him not to change it.

The Premier League’s official Match Centre posted a message on X (formerly Twitter) to explain why the penalty was upheld. The statement read:

“The referee’s call of penalty for the challenge by Lewis-Skelly on Harrison was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the contact deemed to be sufficient for a penalty and inside the area.”

In short, they believed there was enough contact and that it happened inside the penalty box — so the decision stood.

Not everyone agreed with the decision. Former England defender Stuart Pearce, who was commentating for talkSPORT, questioned whether there was enough contact to justify a penalty.

He said:

“This could be interesting when they review this again. How much contact was there? Lewis-Skelly got caught under the ball, he leaned back, and both players were claiming they were pushed. It looked like a cheap collapse — not much in it.”

Despite the doubt, the penalty stood and Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye calmly scored from the spot to equalise after Leandro Trossard had given Arsenal the lead in the first half.

This was only Everton’s second penalty of the season, with the first coming back in January against Brighton.

As for Lewis-Skelly, his afternoon ended early as he was substituted in the 75th minute for Kieran Tierney.

Neither team could find a winner before full-time, meaning Arsenal have now won just once at Goodison Park in their last seven visits.

The draw could have big consequences for the Premier League table. If Liverpool win their match against Fulham, they can go 14 points clear of Arsenal at the top. That’s a worrying sign for Mikel Arteta’s side, who also have to watch out for third-place Nottingham Forest, just five points behind and yet to play this weekend.

For Everton, the point lifted them to 14th for now, but they could slip to 16th depending on results from Tottenham, Southampton, West Ham, and Bournemouth.