Arsenal have been given an explanation for the controversial decision not to award Liverpool a penalty after Jurrien Timber appeared to pull Alexander Isak's shirt during Sunday's Premier League encounter at Anfield.

According to a report by Football London on Monday, November 2, 2026, former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher believes the VAR officials were faced with a difficult decision over the incident, warning that intervening could have led to accusations of "rerefereeing" the match.

Mikel Arteta's team secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Liverpool through Kai Havertz's 16th minute goal. However, the result was overshadowed by a major penalty controversy involving Isak inside the Arsenal penalty area.

The Swedish striker was attempting to reach a cross when Timber appeared to pull his shirt, preventing him from making contact with the ball. Referee Andy Madley allowed play to continue, while VAR official Stuart Attwell decided that the incident did not provide sufficient grounds to overturn the original decision.

Discussing the situation, Gallagher explained that the available camera angles made the incident difficult to judge. He suggested that the referee's initial viewing position offered a different perspective from the footage examined by VAR.

"It depends which angle you watch it from. The first angle, you see nothing. That is the referee's angle," Gallagher explained.

"The second angle, which is what VAR looks at, and it is a lot more damning."

He also acknowledged the difficulty facing the video officials, adding that awarding a penalty could have been interpreted as excessive intervention.

"VAR would be accused of rerefereeing if it is a penalty. It is a case of damned if they do and damned if they don't."

Nevertheless, Gallagher admitted that Timber was fortunate to escape punishment.

"The more I watch it, the more I think he Timber has taken a big chance and has got lucky," he said.

Former Arsenal forward Ian Wright disagreed with the decision, arguing that Isak should not have needed to exaggerate the contact to attract the referee's attention.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher also criticised the officials, suggesting that the shirt pull prevented Isak from reaching the delivery. Tim Sherwood similarly believed VAR should have recommended an on-field review.

Meanwhile, Gallagher dismissed Liverpool's separate penalty appeal involving Cody Gakpo and Christos Tzolis, explaining that the ball had travelled too far for the forward to reach it.

The incidents have reignited discussions about VAR consistency and the interpretation of shirt-pulling offences in the Premier League. Despite the controversy, Arsenal held on to their victory and moved to the top of the league table.