Why Arsenal were not awarded a penalty in Hull controversy as fans left bemused

Arsenal was denied a penalty against Hull City on Saturday following an erroneous VAR intervention at Emirates Stadium. Striker Kai Havertz was brought down inside the penalty area after having his shirt pulled by Hull defender Nobel Mendy. Although referee Farai Hallam acknowledged the foul, a free kick was awarded to Hull instead because Havertz was judged to have been in an offside position during the build-up.

According to IFAB Laws of the Game and analysis from BBC Sport's Dale Johnson, the spot-kick should have stood. Because Mendy fouled Havertz before the attacker attempted to play the ball or challenge an opponent, no offside offence had actively occurred, meaning the shirt-pull foul should have taken precedence over Havertz's position.