Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey has expressed his disagreement with Arsenal’s second goal against Southampton, arguing that it should have been disallowed for offside.
The incident occurred during Arsenal’s recent match at the Emirates Stadium, where they came back from a second-half deficit after Southampton’s Cameron Archer scored first.
Just three minutes later, Arsenal equalized with a goal from Kai Havertz, followed by Gabriel Martinelli scoring what would be the winning goal in the 68th minute.
The goal underwent a routine VAR check for potential offside, but officials confirmed it after reviewing the footage, stating that Martinelli was onside and that Mikel Merino had no influence on the play.
Despite this explanation, Halsey believes the officials made a mistake. He acknowledged that Martinelli was onside but argued that Merino, who was offside, impacted the play and obstructed goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
On The Sun’s podcast The Whistle Blower, Halsey stated, “I thought it was offside because if you challenge an opponent for the ball or take an action that affects their ability to play, that qualifies as offside.”
He referenced Law 11 on offside, noting that while Martinelli wasn’t offside, Merino’s actions were significant. Halsey pointed out that Merino attempted to challenge for the ball, ducking at the last moment, which complicated Ramsdale’s reaction.
“It was clear that Ramsdale expected Merino to make contact, and when he ducked, it left the goalkeeper in a tough position. For me, that means the goal should have been disallowed due to Merino’s impact,” he said.
While Halsey maintains that Arsenal’s goal should not have counted, the decision ultimately benefited Arsenal, allowing them to retain their lead. Bukayo Saka added a third goal in the 88th minute, securing a 3-1 victory over Southampton.
This win places Arsenal in third place in the Premier League table, level on points with Manchester City and just one point behind league leaders Liverpool.
Despite the controversy surrounding Martinelli’s goal, Arsenal continues to have a strong campaign, remaining unbeaten this season.
