Nicol: Max Dowman the only positive in Arsenal’s win vs. Everton (2:10)Steve Nicol reacts to Arsenal’s late 2-0 win over Everton in the Premier League. (2:10)
Andy Davies, Special to ESPNMultiple AuthorsMar 14, 2026, 07:07 PM ET
Video assistant referee causes controversy every week in the Premier League, but how are decisions made and are they correct?
Andy Davies (@andydaviesref) is a former Select Group referee, with over 12 seasons on the elite list, working across the Premier League and Championship. With extensive experience at the elite level, he has operated within the VAR space in the Premier League and offers a unique insight into the processes, rationale and protocols that are delivered on a Premier League matchday.
What happened: Arsenal thought they should have been awarded a penalty in the first half when Michael Keane appeared to tread on the Achilles of Kai Havertz as the Arsenal attacker entered the penalty area. Referee Madley ignored the appeals, with VAR agreeing with the on-field decision.
A huddle in the centre of the pitch is a practice that Liam Rosenior’s side have used before games in recent weeks. But this time referee Tierney was standing on the centre circle and was subsequently caught in the middle of Chelsea’s huddle, holding the match ball.
The more I watch referee Tierney in the middle of the Chelsea team huddle, the less I am convinced by his decision to stand and hold his ground over the match ball.
The Chelsea players didn’t seem worried by Tierney’s presence as they continued with their pre-match ritual, in-fact I would be surprised if they hadn’t been pre-warned by Tierney in the pre-match meeting that he would take up this position if Newcastle had decided to start the match. Regardless, the optics didn’t look great for the PGMO, Premier League or Tierney.
Nicol: Max Dowman the only positive in Arsenal’s win vs. Everton (2:10)Steve Nicol reacts to Arsenal’s late 2-0 win over Everton in the Premier League. (2:10)
Referee: Andy Madley VAR: Stuart Attwell Time: 23rd minute Incident: Possible penalty for Arsenal
It was a ridiculous situation that could and should have been managed differently.
Steve Nicol reacts to Arsenal’s late 2-0 win over Everton in the Premier League. (2:10)