Mikel Arteta publicly criticised two recent refereeing decisions he believes altered the course of Arsenal’s title challenge. The manager addressed incidents in matches against Newcastle United and Manchester City that he said occurred at “crucial moments.”

In the 74th minute at St James’ Park, Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope received only a caution after coming off his line to take down Viktor Gyökeres. The Premier League’s Match Center noted the foul was not deemed a denial of a goalscoring opportunity “due to the close proximity of a Newcastle defender, who had the possibility to claim possession of the ball.” Arteta was unequivocal. “I have to say as well in my opinion, it is a clear red card. I have watched it 10 times. If you have ever played football, it is a red card.”

That decision did not prevent Arsenal from taking three points, but it limited the visitors to a single goal and, Arteta warned, could prove decisive if the title race comes down to goal difference or goals scored.

Arteta then questioned a match at the Etihad Stadium where he believes Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov committed a last-man tackle on Kai Havertz in the 53rd minute. “It is the second time in two games because against Manchester City when Kai Havertz goes through and Khusanov’s fouling him at 1–1, the title is there. It is a red card,” the 44-year-old said. Eight minutes later Erling Haaland scored the match-winner, a result that pulled City within three points with a game in hand. City then won at Turf Moor against relegation-bound Burnley midweek to go top. Arsenal have since reclaimed first place but have again played a game more.

“So these are the margins as well,” Arteta continued. “Hopefully that is going to change. Everyone will have their opinion, I am here to give my opinion.

“I’m somebody who has been in the game for the long time. You talk to any of the players because the trajectory, where the ball is, there is no keeper there. If that had happened the other way around, it is a red card.”

He added: “I am saying the reality of the last two games at crucial moments when everything is at stake, we need everything to go our way and it hasn’t.” He later qualified his remarks: “I am not giving any excuses. I am the first one to understand. I didn’t talk about it when we lost the game. I am doing it when we won. It is a red card today. It is a red card in Manchester and the world is different. That’s it.”

Dominic Calvert-Lewin faced no sanction after an apparent hair contact on Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella during the FA Cup semifinal at Wembley. The incident, which occurred midway through the first half, showed downward contact from Calvert-Lewin’s hand to Cucurella’s long, curly hair. Cucurella immediately grabbed the back of his head.

Referee Jarred Gillett did not issue a decision at the time and the match was paused for VAR official Paul Howard to check the footage. Calvert-Lewin was cleared after the review. TNT Sports commentator Darren Fletcher, who had real-time access to the VAR process and conversation, relayed that the contact was from “the flat of the hand” rather than a clenched fist.

The episode invited comparison with an earlier case involving Lisandro Martínez. Only two days before the Chelsea–Leeds semi, a regulatory commission acting for the FA published written reasons for denying Martínez’s appeal against a red card and three-match ban. Interim Manchester United manager Michael Carrick called that decision at the time “one of the worst” he’s ever seen. The club had lodged an appeal arguing that Martínez was the victim of wrongful dismissal and that the ban was “excessive.”

The commission rejected the appeal. It said it did not feel “with any confidence” that the “force exerted” by Martínez on Calvert-Lewin’s hair/scalp was “negligible.” The panel took into account Calvert-Lewin’s reaction, which it said “suggested that he had felt a certain amount of force exerted upon his hair/scalp.” On that basis the commission concluded the VAR interpretation of the Martínez incident was “reasonable” and therefore not an “obvious error.” The match-day announcement that followed the Martínez review had been: “After review, Manchester United 6 is guilty of pulling his hair – violent conduct. Final decision is red card.”

The contrasting outcomes have left Manchester United fans unsettled and prompted wider questions about consistency in officiating in England. The draft also notes that a clear hair pull from Fulham’s Kenny Tete on Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo in February went unpunished.

Tottenham Hotspur secured their first Premier League victory of 2026 at Molineux, but the result came with a significant worry as Xavi Simons suffered a knee problem on Saturday.

The visitors managed to keep a beleaguered Wolves side at bay, yet Spurs offered little cutting edge in the final third after Xavi was withdrawn just after the hour mark. Returning Wolves goalkeeper José Sa was seldom tested. Tottenham found a way to win through a set-piece and João Palhinha’s poacher’s finish at the back post. The narrow triumph was Spurs’ first league success since Dec. 28, but victories for Nottingham Forest and West Ham meant there was no gain on relegation rivals.

A Premier League win is still a valuable boost for Roberto De Zerbi’s team in the final month of the season. De Zerbi’s side had been denied a win by Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend; a 95th-minute Georginio Rutter equalizer cancelled out Xavi’s stunning effort with 15 minutes to play and, as a consequence, much of the postmatch conversation turned to Xavi’s excessive celebration rather than the quality of the strike.

Xavi has had a difficult first year in north London but shown signs of promise. The knee problem he suffered on Saturday threatens to be season-ending. He did not take kindly to abuse from the Wolves crowd as he was stretchered from the pitch. In clips that circulated on social media, Xavi bites back at one supporter who shouts from the stands: “F—— w—–, you’re a f—— w—–!” The Dutchman pivoted his head towards the chief offender and more subtly repeats: “F— you!”

“Xavi felt pain, but now I spoke with him two minutes ago, he feels better than at the beginning of the injury,” De Zerbi told reporters postmatch.

Xavi collapsed awkwardly after a tussle with Hugo Bueno down Wolves’ left flank, writhed in clear discomfort off the pitch and required a stretcher. De Zerbi said the club will not know the severity until Monday or Tuesday, but a season-ending outcome is likely if significant ligament damage is confirmed. Much of Xavi’s productivity this season has arrived in Europe; he has scored just twice in the Premier League.