Arsenal given instant UEFA verdict after VAR penalty decision vs Slavia Prague

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The latest Arsenal news as Mikel Arteta's side lead Slavia Prague in the Champions League

Arsenal were awarded a first-half penalty in their clash against Slavia Prague following a swift VAR intervention.

The Slavia players had been preparing to defend a corner when referee Aliyar Aghayev stopped play after being advised to check a potential handball from the previous delivery. Interestingly, none of the Arsenal players had appealed for it at the time.

Replays showed the ball appearing to strike Prague captain Lukas Provod’s hand after the 29-year-old misjudged his header.

Following a brief review at the monitor, Aghayev pointed to the spot, with UEFA explaining: “Slavia Praha’s player No17 touched the ball with his left hand, which was in an unnatural position above the shoulder and making his body bigger.”

Provod protested the call, insisting the ball had deflected off his head first - which, under the current rules, would not constitute a handball - but the decision stood.

Bukayo Saka calmly converted the resulting penalty, slotting into the bottom right corner beyond Jakub Markovic’s dive.

The VAR check was completed in impressively quick fashion compared to those in the Premier League, where the longest review has stretched to over five minutes. Referee Aghayev only had to see one replay before turning around and making his decision.