Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey believes referee Robert Jones erred in failing to award Arsenal a penalty in Sunday’s 1-1 draw.
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Gabriel Jesus was manhandled in the box by Saints defender Duje Caleta-Car as he attempted to get onto loose ball, but Robert Jones saw nothing wrong with the challenge.
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This, along with numerous other decisions, went against Arsenal. Robert Jones failure to point to the spot highlights the inconsistency of Premier League officiating.
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As both Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay and Brentford centre-back Kristoffer Ajer gave away penalties for similar offences over the weekend.
Expressing his views in his column for The Sun, Mark Halsey wrote:
“Arsenal should have been awarded a first-half penalty when Gabriel Jesus was hauled down by Southampton’s Duje Caleta-Car.”
“The incident highlighted the inconsistency of decision-making by officials over holding offences this weekend, with Chelsea and Aston Villa benefiting in similar situations.”
“Caleta-Car wasn’t goal-side and tried to make life difficult for Jesus but he committed himself to a clear holding offence and referee Robert Jones should have pointed to the spot. If Jones didn’t see it, VAR official Peter Bankes needed to intervene.”