Contrarian take: Why the big calls around Arsenal were right — not a fix

A viral post from @AFCAMDEN roared that officials “tried to f*** us” and that champions must resist those moments. The replies split, from accusations of “fixing” to claims of double standards on handball and added time against Liverpool, City and Newcastle. Cutting through the noise, this analysis applies Law 12 (Handball) and IFAB timekeeping directives from 2023/24 onward to explain why the high-profile calls were, in fact, within the laws. No conspiracy, no special treatment — just consistent interpretation, proximity, arm silhouette, and transparent added-time accounting. Emotion drives the discourse; the laws drive the decisions.

Primary source: Tweet by @AFCAMDEN: “They tried to f*** us but we didn’t have it… COME ON!”

• @iyaalagii_: “Yeah they tried to f*** you 🥱”
• @sandasna: Handball and added-time double-standard claim; 26 minutes total cited vs Liverpool, City, Newcastle
• @Jez0107: “How do they not give this?”
• @Douna_empiree: “They said we can’t beat Newcastle”
• @helmi9rajab: “They tried to fix it in front of our eyes”
• @TDH228: “Can’t always blame external factors… up our game”
• @KausarChy: “They’ll try again next week”
• @menchii_katsu: hostile rejoinder
• @JamesW33821235: “They fixed it for you 😂”

They tried to fuck us but we didn’t have it. That’s the kind of thing you need to do if you want to be champions! COME ON!

@AFCAMDEN

Impact Analysis

The temperature of the discourse is feverish, but the framework is simple: the Laws of the Game and the 2023/24 IFAB guidance that Premier League officials are briefed to apply. On handball, Law 12 hinges on deliberate action, arm position relative to the body’s silhouette, distance, and deflection speed. When an attacker or defender’s arm is close to the torso, or contact follows a rapid, unavoidable deflection, penalties are not to be awarded. That is why many seemingly “obvious” TV angles do not meet the threshold of a clear and obvious VAR intervention; the on-field call stands absent a clear error.

Added time is not arbitrary either. Since the 2023 directive, prolonged goal celebrations, substitutions, injuries, lengthy VAR reviews, and tactical delays are all explicitly tallied. Accumulating 8–10 minutes in high-stakes fixtures is normal; across multiple games, totals reaching the mid-20s aren’t evidence of bias but of modern timekeeping rigor.

Allegations of “fixing” collapse under scrutiny: PGMOL’s post-match processes include audio review, coach feedback channels, and, increasingly, public explanations. The perception of double standards often stems from different factual matrices: angle of the arm, initial deflection, or the specific stoppages that each match produces. Consistency means applying the same test to different facts — not producing the same outcome despite different facts. In that light, the big calls in question align with current guidance.

Reaction

The replies mirror the divided football public. One camp doubles down on systemic bias, citing cumulative added time and differential treatment in handball decisions — a ready-made narrative amplified by rivalry with Liverpool, City, and Newcastle. Words like “fix” gain traction because they are emotionally satisfying, not evidentiary.

Another faction pushes accountability: even if marginal calls sting, elite teams must rise above volatility. That pragmatist stance is embodied by the reply emphasizing performance over persecution — a view that typically grows within dressing rooms accustomed to fine margins.

A smaller but loud subset trades ridicule and sarcasm, escalating rhetoric that drowns nuance. Social platforms reward certitude, not caveats, which is why “How do they not give this?” outperforms any patient reference to Law 12’s proximity and silhouette guidance. The result: echo chambers where highlight screenshots masquerade as refereeing textbooks.

Yet there’s a stabilizing countercurrent: fans increasingly request audio releases and clearer VAR explanations. Transparency doesn’t end debate, but it raises the floor of understanding — and undercuts the lazier cries of conspiracy.

Social reactions

How on earth do you cretins have the audacity to moan about the officials yesterday? Gabriel should have 100% been sent off,Gabriel 100% hand balled it and Pope 100% played the ball. Moaning Fanny Craddock wankers

Ben Cummings (@BenCumm48251083)

But cheated ur way to a win well done … u can’t win a game without cheating

sharon richards (@sharonr52233937)

Part of me is delighted you freaks have been given this hope 😂 you’re already celebrating like you’ve won the title in September 😂 makes the inevitable failure and crash out all the more entertaining 😂

Cant-Stop-The-Klopp (@LfcMusings)

Prediction

Expect three parallel tracks. First, PGMOL will continue incremental transparency — more swift post-match clarifications and periodic audio drops for contentious incidents. That reduces oxygen for “fix” narratives without litigating every 50-50. Second, clubs and coaching staffs will adapt strategically, drilling arm discipline in box defending and game-state management to limit interpretive risk, while analysts catalog stoppage profiles to anticipate added time better.

Third, the public debate will polarize during title-race pressure spikes. Any late call in matches involving Arsenal, Liverpool, City, or Newcastle will be framed as precedent-breaking by one side and textbook by the other. The most likely outcome: the decisions remain broadly consistent with current IFAB guidance, even as optics fluctuate with camera angles and commentary.

If there is a watershed moment, it will come from expanded live communication pilots between VAR and stadiums — not a rewrite of handball. Expect marginal tweaks to language around “natural silhouette” and “deflection,” but no revolution. The narrative will simmer; the laws will evolve cautiously.

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Conclusion

Strip out the heat, keep the light: these were law-aligned calls. Handball adjudication in the modern game prioritizes intent proxies — arm position, silhouette, and reaction time — over slow-motion theatrics. VAR’s mandate is narrow: correct the clear and obvious, not re-referee grey areas. Likewise, added time is now methodically counted, not conjured.

Fans are right to demand clarity; they are wrong to equate disappointment with malfeasance. The fairest reading is that officials applied the same criteria to different facts across different games, yielding outcomes that feel inconsistent only when context is ignored. The fix isn’t in — the framework is. If teams channel energy into discipline, tempo control, and chance conversion, the margins that fuel outrage will shrink, and the table will reflect performance more than narrative. Until then, the loudest screenshots will keep drowning out the quiet rigor of the Laws of the Game.