Former Referees Chief Says Arsenal Denied Clear Penalty vs Nottingham Forest
Arsenal’s frustrating 0-0 draw against Nottingham Forest on 17th January, 2026, left Mikel Arteta and the Gunners fuming over what they call a terrible penalty decision at the death.
A decision that could have seen them stretch their Premier league lead to 9 points – but instead, after Manchester City lost out to Manchester United earlier that day, Arsenal were only able to stretch their lead to 7 precious points at the top of the table.
Former PGMOL chief and ex-fifa referee Keith Hackett has spoken out saying he thinks the Gunners were robbed of a spot kick in the 80th minute when Forest defender Ola Aina appeared to deliberately use his hand to block the ball in the penalty area.
The Incident: Ola Aina’s Late Handball in the Penalty Area
As the match entered its final stages at the City ground, Arsenal were pushing hard for a winning goal. It was during a scrap between Gabriel Jesus and Forest’s Elliot Anderson near the touchline , that Ola Aina appeared to deliberately palm the ball with his hand, to prevent it going out for a corner and then give away a free kick anyway.
Referee Michael Oliver dismissed Arsenal’s appeals and the VAR official Darren England went on to review the footage but upheld the on field decision. The Premier league later released a statement saying that the ball had struck Aina’s shoulder first, with his arm in a “pretty natural position” – but Hackett strongly disagreed after studying the footage.
He told us : “That player deliberately moved his hand towards the ball and committed a handling offence. You should regard the shoulder as part of the body, not some thing separate. This is not a deflection off his shoulder, its a deliberate play. A penalty should have been given to the Gunners. Its not rocket science, go back and watch it again”
Also Read: Arteta: ‘It’s a Very Clear Penalty – Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal
This view is in line with Arsenal’s frustrations as the incident denied them a golden chance to take advantage of their rivals dropping points.
Mikel Arteta’s Furious Reaction to the Denied Penalty
Mikel Arteta was left Fuming after the match insisting it was a no brainer penalty : “I saw it live, I saw it after the game, and I’m looking at it right now – yet again. It is absolutely unnecessary. He brings the ball with his hand so its a clear penalty. Not even a debate.”
Arteta also tore into the officials explanation calling it ” plain wrong” and highlighted the growing worries over Premier league officiating and VAR.
Had the penalty been awarded and converted Arsenal could have banked some vital 3 points in the title chase. Instead, Forest managed to get a hard fought clean sheet – their first in 7 games across all competitions – which could yet prove to be a real lifeline in their battle against relegation.
Why This Decision Matters in the Premier League Title Race
The lack of a penalty for Arsenal, despite dominating possession and creating scoring chances, feels like one of those moments that could be the difference between winning and losing in the end.
The draw leaves them with back to back goalless results – an outcome that’s raising a lot of questions about their ability to finish chances when it counts, even with them sitting pretty at the top of the table.
Critics have been going on about the state of refereeing in the Premier League all season – and it’s fair to say that officials have been making some pretty dodgy calls using the VAR system, with some questioning whether they’re relying too heavily on it without actually making any real decisions. And this time round, even the fancy technology couldn’t overturn what most people would see as a pretty clear cut mistake.
As the title race gets hotter and hotter, decisions like this could easily come back to haunt Arsenal – and they might spark even more scrutiny of the PGMOL and in particular Howard Webb. For now they’re still seven points clear at the top – but the fact that a handball by Ola Aina was close to the kind of error that can change games, serves as a good reminder that the margins can be incredibly fine at the top of the Premier League.
Also Read: Declan Rice’s Frustration Caught on Camera After Arsenal’s Frustrating 0-0 Draw at Nottingham Forest
Former Referees Chief Says Arsenal Denied Clear Penalty vs Nottingham Forest