Arsenal may well look back at their 1-0 win at Anfield as one of the standout results of their title defence.

Kai Havertz scored the only goal as the Premier League champions resolutely kept Liverpool out, reducing them to zero shots on target.

But one incident from the first half has now come back under the spotlight.

Premier League panel rules Liverpool should have had a penalty

According to Dale Johnson of BBC Sport, the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents Panel has ruled that Liverpool should have been given a penalty for Jurrien Timber’s pull on Alexander Isak’s shirt in the 21st minute.

Isak just failed to get his head on the end of Bradley Barcola’s cross, and referee Andy Madley didn’t give a spot-kick. VAR Stuart Attwell checked it and let play go on, but replays showed Timber grabbing Isak’s shirt.

The panel voted 4-1 that a penalty should have been awarded on the pitch, and 3-2 that VAR should have stepped in. Arsenal were already 1-0 up at the time, but it could’ve resulted in an entirely different game had Liverpool converted from the spot.

To be fair, even the most ardent Gunners fans would find it hard to argue it wasn’t a foul. Timber clearly had hold of the shirt, and Isak was in front of him inches away from heading the ball into David Raya’s net.

Arsenal were denied a similar penalty against Hull

But these decisions have a habit of evening themselves out, and Arsenal were on the wrong end of something very similar at the weekend.

In the 1-0 win over Hull, Nobel Mendy pulled Havertz’s shirt in the box when the game was still goalless. VAR checked it, but no penalty was given because Havertz was in an offside position.

As Johnson explained during the game, that was a mistake in itself. Havertz didn’t commit an offside offence, because he wasn’t trying to play the ball or challenge an opponent for it. So Arsenal should have had a penalty regardless.

The panel is yet to officially review that incident, and that will probably come next week. If it goes the way Johnson suggests, Arsenal will have been denied a spot-kick of their own.

Fortunately, Arsenal eventually found a breakthrough against Hull anyway, after captain Martin Odegaard poached home a rebounded shot from Noni Madueke.

So, while Arsenal got away with one at Anfield, they were denied one of their own against Hull, which just goes to show that these things tend to even out over the course of a season.