After trailing the Gunners 2-0 at the half, Leicester City rallied to tie the game, only to have their hearts broken in stoppage time.
The Premier League has explained why it used VAR to overturn the ruling that Kai Havertz’s late goal was offside, giving Arsenal the victory over Leicester City.
Thanks to goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, Arsenal led by two goals at the half in a match that was an emotional trip for both sides. They would have been forgiven for believing that playing a winless Leicester would be a simple afternoon as a result.
The second part, though, was anything from simple. Two minutes into the second half, James Justin cut the lead. Two minutes later, the full-back scored again, this time on a stunning volley to tie the score at 2-2 for the Foxes.
It appeared like Arsenal would be frustrated by Leicester custodian Mads Hermansen and his defensive line. Nevertheless, corners turned out to be important. In the 94th minute, one deflected off Wilfred Ndidi, sending the Emirates Stadium into a frenzy and making the score 3-2.
In a desperate attempt to win the game, Leicester substituted players on the attack. When Kai Havertz found an open goal in the 98th minute, Arsenal took the lead, but the assistant referee’s flag cut short the celebrations, according to Football London.
The goal was awarded after a VAR review. The Premier League verified that Justin had played the ball, leading to the decision being reversed.
The scenario was explained by the Premier League Match Centre on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Havertz’s goal was disallowed for offside on-field. The VAR examined and verified that the defender had passed the ball to Havertz, and they suggested that the goal be given.”
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