Premier League confirm stance on latest Everton VAR chaos and Michael Oliver decision

Referee Michael Oliver defied the VAR recommendation to uphold Arsenal’s late winning goal against Everton amidst controversy. Kai Havertz nudged his team ahead just minutes before the end of a tightly contested match in north London. However, the visitors raised doubts about the goal’s validity as it had brushed Gabriel Jesus’ arm in the buildup. Oliver was summoned to the pitch side monitor to reassess his decision to allow play to proceed.

In a departure from the norm since VAR’s inception in the Premier League, he opted not to overturn the initial ruling. This deviation did not escape the notice of Sean Dyche, who has frequently criticized the tendency for decisions to be reversed once the on-field referee consults the screen. Commenting on Oliver’s divergence from the usual practice at the Emirates, the Blues manager remarked, “It’s interesting how it unfolds in a title race and goes the opposite way.”

As Everton and Arsenal were deadlocked at 1-1 nearing stoppage time, Ashley Young’s errant pass was intercepted by Gabriel Jesus’ arm. The Arsenal forward capitalized on this opportunity, setting up Martin Odegaard for a shot that deflected off Jordan Pickford but fell to Kai Havertz, who converted from close range. The goal triggered protests from Pickford and his teammates, with expectations of a VAR intervention to overturn the decision. The ECHO reports that Oliver was summoned to the monitor to assess whether Jesus had intentionally handled the ball but ultimately stood by his initial ruling. In contrast, Dyche was left incredulous on the sidelines.

When questioned about the incident post-match, Dyche expressed his concerns, stating, “We are all concerned about handball, unsure of its interpretation. This instance seems clear to me; they review it on the monitor, and it’s interesting how it unfolds in a title race and goes the other way… Ultimately, we are all grappling with handball rules. This scenario, in my view, is hard to dispute. It’s a deliberate handball leading to a goal, and that should have been penalized.”