It was very close and they sped through VAR as quick as possible. I was unable to conclusively tell from the short shot they gave us and they moved on, quickly. I’ll accept it was the right call but just think it would have been looked at a lot more closely had it been the other way round.
16 Jan 2026
92
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They got away with one themselves
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Went today. Actually thought that we dominated the game tactically, without really threatening to score. But nor did arsenal barring a couple of chances from lucky breaks. Two really good sels saves. They had no time or space, and we covered every run. They resorted to chucking shit forward and hoping. Apart from set pieces and throw ins where they got 70/30 to our equivalent claims. At throw ins they got to set up for days, and Aina for warned after having the ball for less than two seconds and got booked after less time than the arsenal goalkeeper held the ball.
We played well, and equally ran the game. The officiating? Same shit different day.
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I think the CHO penalty could very well have been given. The line is the mark. If the foul continues into the box which I contend it does then penalty. Ola's incident was the ball was on his chest and his arm was out. Not a penalty. Arteta can fuck off.
I think The Ginger Prince got it right today, as did Ingo. We kept Arsenal at bay and they didn't look to have many ideas. I thought Ola was excellent today and made Martinelli get substituted. We deserved the result. They shouldn't have won.,
The Dominator was just that. He was fucking magnificent. A tireless worker. Great great engine. I remember when he was selected into our first victory at Anfield. He was pivotal in that game too.
Obviously Sels made the important saves and Saka scares the life out of me, but a tremendous team performance effort. We didn't make them too nervous but we made them frustrated. This result makes me feel sooo much better after the Shammers and Luuuuds wins. NOW ONTO THAT PESKY PROBLEM OF NO GOAL SCORING!!!!! Clearly with N 'Doye coming on then Taiwo is toast...
Braga, we should change the team again. The question is: what mixture? Yatesy? Luiz? N'Doye? Savona? Bakwa? Victor? (yikes...).
Good job today Ingo. You had the stones to post the thread. And it was entertaining enough to get the result. I salute you sir.
Anyway, Job done.
Chicago: Satisfied.
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I think the FACT! that our only booking was a shitty card to Aina for a slightly patient throw in does us enormous credit. We didn't panic under pressure / lunge in / 'give the referee a decison to make'.
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The internet seems convinced that we got away with a surefire penalty against Aina, but it looked to me (and still does) that a) he was pushed into the ball by Anderson, and b) if he hadn't have been Anderson would have cleared it instead of it deflecting off Aina for a corner. So it wasn't a pen and Arsenal got a better result than they would have had it not hit his arm.
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I was in the bridgford end on that side. There was absolutely no action that merited a penalty. If it had have been given, it would have been totally bent. The foul for our claim looked like it continued in to the box to my eyes in real time. Anyone know why our quick free kick right at the end to release Hutchinson one on one to run free into the arsenal half was brought back?
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Everyone is missing the boot to Aina’s chest just before the ‘handball’. If a soft handball was going to be given then the soft free kick would also have to be given.
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The West Ham defender poking the ball out of the way with his hand was worse.
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No idea what the rules are any more so I don’t know if it was handball for their ‘penalty’ or not, but I was watching it with some friends and we were all convinced they were going to give it when we saw the VAR. I mean, he kinda scooped it back into play with his arm whether he was pushed into it or not. Anyway, the official reason it wasn’t given was because his arm was in a natural position which sounds like bollocks to me but it feels like we got away with one (again). Has VAR become our 12th man??
The CHO one started and finished outside the box (just). Definitely not a pen. -
Agree with this. I thought his arm movement would make the decision inevitable, regardless of how to ball got there. I get that they want to stick with the onfield decision as much as possible but the referee didn’t have any view of it.
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Also Dyche would have a better case arguing about players feigning injuries if Dominguez hadn't gone down holding his head, when he clearly wasn't hurt, in the first half.
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I thought the ref handled that well. He made Dom leave the pitch for 30 seconds, just as he did with the Arsenal player a few minutes earlier. Nobody tried that tactic again.
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I’ve long thought that any time play is stopped for a head injury it should be mandatory to have a full concussion check off the pitch. I don’t mind if we allow temporary subs while that’s going on but it’ll stop the spurious ones anyway.
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Likewise. Was discussing exactly this during the match with who I went with.
Of course there are loads of simple rewriting of the laws, and their interpretation, that could be done to simplify the game from an officiating perspective, as well as making a better experience for the fans, with the ball in play more, and no disruption.
But they obviously don't want that, or they would do it.
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All I could think was it probably wasn't taken from the right place.
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It was.
Next.
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By the way. Night games are pretty.
