Hackett Blasts VAR as Havertz Dodges Red in Arsenal’s Nail-Biter
Arsenal got the points, but the talking point was pure officiating drama. Kai Havertz’s late challenge on Lesley Ugochukwu had the Emirates on tenterhooks, and former referees’ boss Keith Hackett is adamant the German should have walked. VAR kept it at a yellow, the Gunners held on, and north London breathed out — eventually.
Hackett’s hardline verdict
Hackett didn’t mince his words. Speaking to Football Insider, the ex-PGMOL chief said Havertz was fortunate to remain on the pitch and argued the tackle ticked the boxes for serious foul play — studs raking down the back of the calf and endangering an opponent. In his view, that’s a straight red, not a booking, and Arsenal can count themselves a touch lucky the technology didn’t intervene.
VAR says yellow; Neville says red
Referee Paul Tierney initially showed a yellow, and after a VAR check the on-field decision stood. Not everyone bought it. On co-comms duty, Gary Neville felt it met the threshold for a dismissal. You could sense the temperature rise inside the ground; Arsenal had control on the scoreboard, but they were flirting with trouble on the discipline front.
The match context: Havertz scores, then risks it
Havertz had actually put Arsenal in front with a firm first-half header from a corner, setting the tone for a game they largely bossed without ever finding the cushion of a second. That’s why the challenge midway through the second half felt so reckless — exactly the sort of flashpoint that can flip a contest you’re otherwise managing.
Arteta’s reaction and the quick hook
Mikel Arteta admitted he feared the worst while the VAR check unfolded. He later said the bench guidance was that it wasn’t a red, and he hadn’t yet reviewed the incident in detail. Even so, the manager didn’t wait around, replacing Havertz with Viktor Gyokeres soon after. The Swedish forward used the space smartly as Arsenal wrestled the tempo back in the closing stages.
Title race stakes and what’s next
Job done, just about. Arsenal banked three massive points and now watch Manchester City’s trip to Bournemouth with interest. Should Pep’s lot slip, the title race barrels towards a grandstand finish. Arteta talked about taking care of their side of the bargain — since that defeat away at City, it’s been five to tick off; four down, one to go, with the tantalising prospect of something special still alive.
For fans tracking odds, suspensions and the shifting narrative of the run-in, the top best betting sites will be moving quickly. Moments like this — a borderline red, a razor-thin win — can jolt markets and momentum alike, and Arsenal’s resilience under pressure keeps the intrigue sky-high.
Pundit’s take
The law, as Hackett frames it, says red; the officials stuck with amber. You can see both sides, but if you’re going by the modern interpretation of endangering an opponent, Havertz gave VAR a decision to make — and escaped. Arsenal won the fight, but they won’t want to roll the dice like that again with silverware in sight.
The bottom line
Arsenal were professional for long stretches and ragged in flashes, yet they found a way. The controversy will rage, but the table doesn’t argue. Survive the storm, keep your nerve, and live to scrap another week — that’s title-race football in a nutshell.
