Arsenal should have been awarded a penalty at Aston Villa for Ian Maatsen’s challenge on Bruno Guimaraes, the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents Panel has ruled.
The KMI Panel added that the Villa defender should also have received a second yellow card for the foul, and been sent off.
The Gunners were leading 1-0 eight minutes into stoppage time when Guimaraes broke into the box and Maatsen made a desperate attempt to stop the Brazil international getting his shot away.
According to BBC Sport, the KMI Panel voted 5:0 that it was an on-field error by referee Jarred Gillett, and a missed intervention by video assistant referee James Bell.
“Clear contact was made on the attacker’s standing leg and Maatsen made no contact with the ball,” the KMI Panel said.
It added that “the challenge was reckless and therefore a second caution should have been awarded”.
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It is the first refereeing error logged for Arsenal since the VAR failed to intervene to overturn Myles Lewis-Skelly’s red card against Wolves in January 2025.
Arsenal are currently second (behind Manchester City) in the Premier League table on nine points, thanks to wins against Coventry City (3-0), Aston Villa (1-0) and Chelsea (2-1).
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta’s men begin their 2026/27 UEFA Champions League campaign (and bid for a first-ever title) with an away league-phase opener against Napoli today (Wednesday, 9 September 2026).
The reigning Premier League champions were close to landing a first Champions League title last season, but lost on penalty shootout to Paris Saint-Germain after 90 minutes and regulation time ended 1-1.
