David Moyes frustrated as Everton denied a penalty against Arsenal

Coach David Moyes expressed strong feelings of anger, annoyance, and frustration after VAR declined to grant Everton a penalty in the clash with Arsenal, following the incident involving William Saliba and Thierno Barry in their latest Premier League encounter of the 2025/26 season.

Initially, the Toffees’ manager stated he was unsure whether his team deserved a penalty after William Saliba collided with Thierno Barry inside Arsenal’s penalty area.

However, during the post-match press conference, Moyes voiced his disappointment with the VAR decision, likely influenced by having reviewed the slow-motion footage himself.

When asked about his thoughts, Moyes responded with restrained but evident frustration: "I think we have seen many similar situations where penalties were given for contact with the foot or after the foot. I believe this incident involved hitting the back of the heel.

In that play, nothing particularly unusual happened. I think Saliba rushed in, Thierno put his leg across to block and clear, and then Saliba struck Barry. But I think everyone would agree that this could have been called a foul. The fact that VAR did not advise referee Sam Barrott probably means they didn’t consider it a clear infringement."

This moment was seen as a turning point in a game where Everton failed to pose much threat to Arsenal after falling behind to a penalty. The match was balanced in the first 25 minutes until Jake O’Brien handled the ball inside the box while defending a corner. Viktor Gyokeres did not miss from the spot to score the only goal of the match for Arsenal.

The Premier League also provided an explanation for the controversial situation after the game: "The referee’s decision not to award a penalty to Everton was reviewed and confirmed by VAR, concluding that Saliba’s contact with Barry was insufficient to warrant a penalty.”

This victory also helped the Gunners reclaim the top spot in the Premier League after Manchester City temporarily held it following their win over West Ham United. The gap between the two teams is just 2 points (39 versus 37).