Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey has expressed his disapproval of Arsenal’s second goal during their recent match against Southampton, arguing that it should have been disallowed for offside.
This debate emerged during Arsenal’s weekend triumph at the Emirates Stadium, where they managed to recover from a second-half deficit after Southampton’s Cameron Archer initially scored.
Just three minutes after going behind, Arsenal equalized through Kai Havertz, and by the 68th minute, Gabriel Martinelli scored what turned out to be the winning goal, giving Mikel Arteta’s side the lead.
The goal underwent a standard review by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to assess a possible offside infringement.
After examining the footage, the officials determined that the goal should stand.
The Premier League provided an official statement via the Premier League Match Centre on X (formerly Twitter), clarifying the ruling: “The referee’s decision to award the goal was reviewed and upheld by the VAR, confirming that Martinelli was onside and that Mikel Merino had no influence on the play.”
Despite this clarification, Halsey maintains that the officials erred in their decision.
He concedes that Martinelli was not in an offside position but contends that Merino, who was indeed in an offside position, affected the play and obstructed goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
On *The Sun’s* podcast *The Whistle Blower*, Halsey stated, “I believed it was offside because if you challenge an opponent for the ball or make an action that impacts the opponent’s ability to play the ball, that qualifies as offside.”
Halsey further elaborated by citing Law 11 concerning offside, indicating that while Martinelli was onside, Merino’s involvement was pivotal.
He noted that Merino made a deliberate attempt to contest the ball by jumping and then ducking his head, which ultimately impaired Ramsdale’s ability to respond.
“It was evident that Ramsdale anticipated that Merino would touch the ball, but when he ducked at the last moment, it left the goalkeeper in a precarious situation.
In my view, this means the goal should have been disallowed because of Merino’s influence,” Halsey explained.
Although Halsey asserts that Arsenal’s goal should not have counted, the decision ultimately benefited Arsenal, enabling them to retain their lead.
Bukayo Saka later added a third goal in the 88th minute, securing a 3-1 victory for Arsenal over Southampton.
This result positions Arsenal in third place in the Premier League standings, tied on points with Manchester City and just one point shy of league leaders Liverpool.
Despite the controversy surrounding Martinelli’s goal, Arsenal continues to display a strong performance this season, remaining unbeaten so far.
