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Liam Wood

Dermot Gallagher delivers surprise verdict on big decisions in Leeds United defeat at Arsenal

VAR and penalties were once again a hot topic when Leeds United headed to the Emirates Stadium and returned home on the back of a 4-2 defeat.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang recaptured form with a match-winning hat-trick, including one from the penalty spot, as the Whites found themselves 4-0 down after 47 minutes in North London.

However, they rallied somewhat through Pascal Struijk and Helder Costa, before Leeds were denied a late lifeline when striker Patrick Bamford took a tumble in the box with the scores at 4-2 - only for those protests to be waved away.

At the other end, Arsenal were awarded an earlier penalty after England international Bukayo Saka went down.

It was initially given by referee Stuart Attwell, only for the decision to be overturned following intervention from the much-maligned VAR system - with Andre Marriner sitting in the VAR hot-seat on this occasion.

Several pundits, meanwhile, argue Leeds were justified in their frustrations that Bamford was not awarded a spot-kick, although one man doesn't see it that way.

Speaking in his role as an expert analyst on Ref Watch, which features as part of The Football Show on Sky Sports, former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher said: "If you look at the two players that come across, Bamford is slightly the wrong side and goes into them rather than the players going into him.

"I think the players are entitled to make that challenge. I think the referee is quite right to wave play on."

On the Saka incident at the other end, Gallagher added: "If you were a defender making a challenge like this, you would be confident that VAR will see it that you didn't commit a foul.

"If you look, with the view VAR has, you see minimal contact and he goes down very, very easily. Quite rightly, the VAR Andre Marriner says to Stuart Attwell, 'go and have a look'.

"When Stuart sees that from behind the goal, there's your answer. No. No penalty."

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