An independent panel has ruled that Liverpool should have had a penalty when Jurrien Timber pulled Alexander Isak's shirt in Arsenal's win at Anfield. The league panel voted 4-1 that the decision not to punish Timber was wrong. It was closer on the second question, voting 3-2 that the VAR should have recommended a review. The incident came in the 20th minute of the 1-0 win on 1 November.
The ruling changes nothing in the table, but it does change how that win should be remembered. Arsenal won a tight game by a single goal, and a penalty against them in the first quarter of it would have been a real swing. The one dissenting panellist thought the hold was too brief to have a clear effect on Isak, but four others disagreed. All five did agree that it wasn't a denial of a goalscoring opportunity, so Timber was rightly not sent off even on the panel's reading.
This is the first wrong decision in Arsenal's favour the panel has found this season, and that context is more useful than the verdict itself. A side that has won nine of ten league games and sits first on 27 points hasn't been living off refereeing breaks, and one shirt pull in a 1-0 win doesn't rewrite that. Arsenal got away with one, and they've been told so.
Martin Zubimendi has also been answering questions this week, in his case about links with Atletico Madrid, and he shut them down in an interview. "There's absolutely nothing to it, and I'm not close to anything," he said, adding that he hopes to see out the season: "I'm happy there". The denial is worth taking at face value, because he was just as candid about last season. Last season he started every league game up to the end of April, and only Declan Rice played more minutes among the outfield players. "I played a huge number of minutes and, to be honest, I was tired," he said. He also said Mikel Arteta explained the plan to him at the start of the season and warned him the new signings would share the playing time. A midfielder who admits he ran out of legs and says he's "fighting for it" doesn't sound like one looking for the door.
For Arsenal Women, Misa has spoken to the club about settling in, Barcelona and Alessia Russo before tonight's Champions League game at Camp Nou.
Russo has an honour of her own today, having been named AWFC Player of the Month.
In the academy, 19-year-old goalkeeper Khari Ranson began his 28-day loan at National League South side Billericay Town with a clean sheet in a 7-0 Essex Senior Cup win over Little Oakley.
The men return at Newcastle on Saturday 21 November, with Borussia Dortmund at home the following Tuesday and Manchester City at the Emirates on Sunday 29 November. That's three games in nine days, and Zubimendi's fight for minutes should get its first proper hearing in them.
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