Arsenal receive brutal PGMOL explanation behind Viktor Gyokeres' revoked penalty at Newcastle as Howard Webb explains correct overturn

The contentious incident came after the Gunners were awarded a 14th-minute spot kick at St. James' Park. Gyokeres latched on to an errant back pass by Jacob Murphy, and looked to touch the ball past the onrushing Englishman in the home side's net. The striker's touch then struck Pope's foot, before the pair came together, prompting Gillett to point to the spot. 

Gillett was summoned to review the footage by the VAR, sparking a lengthy delay where the Australian and his colleagues studied the incident. In his on-pitch announcement, Gillett said: "After review, the Newcastle goalkeeper plays the ball and there is no foul. The final decision is drop ball." 

Webb took to the Sky Sports studios to review the incident further alongside Owen. The former England striker quizzed Webb if the decision met the threshold for an overturned decision. 

Owen said: "It looked like the referee took a little bit of convincing, he had a good look at the monitor, which is absolutely fine. But are you happy that it was such a wrong decision that it needed reversing, because some people still think that even though there was a touch, it was still a penalty. Are you happy that it was clear and obvious enough to reverse the decision?" 

Webb replied: "I am. You know we work with referee's call, it's an important principle in the Premier League, where the call will be made on the field by the referee, it only gets overturned if when the referee looks at the footage he sees no reason at all to support the decision. There's no mix of considerations, it's a clear error. 

"In this one when you see Pope reach out with that foot, play the ball cleanly before making any contact with the opponent, in fact he doesn't make any real contact with the opponent they come together as a normal consequence of that clean challenge by Pope,  the referee hadn't recognised that touch. That was important, the VAR saw it. It was a clear error. I agree with the VAR's intervention. So the referee can go to the screen look at the full sequence, see that touch, see there's a normal playing action by Pope, and the penalty was rightly cancelled."

Debate over the decision has largely boiled down to whether Pope's touch was sufficient  in negating Gyokeres' attempt to retrieve possession after prodding the ball past the onrushing keeper.  As Webb explained, Pope's genuine attempt to play the ball, and his slight touch on it, saw the referee overturn the decision. 

Crucially, Pope's actions did not meet the threshold for a foul as defined by Law 12.1 of the International Football Association Board's laws of the game. That states that a direct free-kick or penalty will be awarded if a player acts in careless or reckless manner, or is deemed to be using excessive force. That includes if a player charges, jumps at, kicks or attempts to kick, pushes, strikes or attempts to strike, tackles, or attempts to trip the opposition. As Pope's action was not deemed to be careless — defined as when a player shows a lack of attention or consideration — his touch on the ball was sufficient for the decision to be overturned.

However, former Premier League referee Mark Halsey dissented with that interpretation of the law, claiming the spot kick should have stood. 

Speaking on the Sky Sports broadcast, Gary Neville admitted it was a difficult decision. He said: "Viktor Gyokeres kicks it against Nick Pope's feet. Pope has still blocked Viktor Gyokeres.

"Gyokeres touches the ball and then there is a touch and then he takes him down after that.

"I'm definitely torn. Nick Pope does get a touch and that is usually the barometer for referees and goalkeepers and penalties."

His colleague Jamie Redknapp said: "He [Pope] gets a touch but I'm not sure it's enough to negate the foul. I'm amazed it got overturned.

"Even though he got a touch, he still fouls the player. Gyokores anticipates it, gets away from it and he clears him out."

Les Ferdinand disagreed, however. He commented:  "It's a great touch. When I first saw it, I shouted, 'I think Pope gets a touch'. He goes through; he does get a touch. As a centre-forward, I probably do want the penalty.

"Once the goalkeeper gets a touch and he deviates the ball, it's not a penalty. I don't know what Pope can do there."

It was one of several potential turning points in a tumultuous game that eventually saw the Gunners run out 2-1 winner after Gabriel's 96th minute winner. The Brazillian was at the centre of three flashpoints. First, he took umbrage to Nick Woltemade's alleged push in the buildup to the German's opener, an act that saw him raise his elbow into the young German's face. When a Murphy cross deflected onto his outstretched arm in his own penalty area, he was saved by the ball striking his leg first, meaning no penalty could be given. None of those incidents were deemed sufficient of VAR intervention. 

In seasons past, Arsenal would have allowed these moments to overwhelm them, but it seems Mikel Arteta's men have built a resilience that should stand them in good stead for the title race. After Liverpool dropped points in a 2-1 defeat away at Crystal Palace, it was crucial for the Gunners to capitalise. Their fans will be hoping for less officiating stress in their Champions League tie against Olympiacos this evening.