Why Arsenal Were Denied a Penalty After Forest Handball: Premier League Explains
Premier league tension reached boiling point at the City Ground on January 17, 2026 when Arsenal saw their hopes of capitalising on a Manchester City slip-up come crashing down with a frustrating 0-0 draw against Nottingham Forest.
The end result left Mikel Arteta’s team unable to put real distance between themselves and the rest of the pack and instead extended their lead at the top to seven precious points rather than the nine that would have incidentally opened up a gap.
One major talking point from the match was a late handball drama that went down involving Forest defender Ola Aina. Clearly many Arsenal fans and Mikel Arteta thought it should have resulted in a penalty – and for good reason.
The Handball Incident Explained
In the 80th minute a high looping cross swooped into the forest penalty area, and just as Aina was trying to get a hand on the ball to prevent it from sailing out for a corner its trajectory had it strike Ola Aina‘s arm. The moment sparked a loud roar of protests from the Arsenal players and some pretty heated debate online.
Despite a VAR review of the incident the on field referee’s decision of no penalty to Arsenal was actually upheld. Now the Premier League Match Centre gave its thoughts on the situation via a very straightforward official statement:
“#NFOARS – 80′ The referee’s call of no penalty to Arsenal was checked and then confirmed by VAR – basically the ball was deemed to have been contacted by Aina’s shoulder first, and with his arm in a perfectly natural position as well.”
This line of reasoning of course fits in with the handball rules in place at the moment. They state that if the arm is in a natural position and the ball first strikes another part of the body (in this instance, the shoulder) then no penalty will be given out.
Also Read: Arsenal to Wear Modified Away Kit Against Nottingham Forest After Premier League Request
Arsenal’s Frustration and Arteta’s Reaction
Mikel Arteta looked fairly fuming after the game, going on to describe the incident as a “crystal clear penalty” and questioning the official explanation saying it was “just not right” . He did acknowledge that Aina had indeed initially made contact with the shoulder but he argued that Aina went on to deliberately use his hand to steer the ball.
All in all it was a major blow to Arsenal’s hopes of taking all three points off Forest and also – more crucially – widen the gap between themselves and their main rivals.
A Hard-Earned Point for Nottingham Forest
It was a gritty defensive display from Forest under the guidance of manager Sean Dyche, and they got themselves a valuable clean sheet against the league leaders. You could say it was a massive morale booster for the home team, keeping them in a relatively safe position above the drop zone.
Dyche made a strong case for the non-penalty decision, saying you might as well just forget about the handball rule if you decide to award a penalty in that situation. He was pretty adamant on the importance of judging those situations carefully.
Match Context and Title Race Implications
Arsenal pretty much had all the ball, but just couldn’t seem to find the back of the net. Gabriel Martinelli had a decent chance too but it ended up being a major let down. The one point they got puts them in a healthier position, seven points clear of second-placed Aston Villa (who could move closer with a win over Everton later that weekend).
Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown was on TNT Sports, saying “You could say it’s been a good day for Aston Villa. But it’s a point more than Manchester City got… Forest were fighting for their lives.”
And no matter how much controversy surrounds the non-penalty call, at the end of the day the Premier League says no handball was involved – just some shoulder contact and a player with their arm in a natural position.
Now its back to business for Arsenal, with their sights set on the next few games. Theyre still driving the title hunt, although havent won one since way back in 2004.
Also Read: Mikel Arteta Gives Update on Arsenal’s January Transfer Plans
Why Arsenal Were Denied a Penalty After Forest Handball: Premier League Explains