Why Riccardo Calafiori’s Goal Against Chelsea Was Disallowed by VAR

• The Premier League released an official explanation for the VAR decision that ruled out Riccardo Calafiori's goal against Chelsea
• VAR determined that Ezri Konsa was in an offside position during the build-up, prompting referee Chris Kavanagh to cancel the goal
• Arsenal still managed to level before half-time, with Kai Havertz netting his third Premier League goal against his former club

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The Premier League has issued an official clarification explaining why the video assistant referee disallowed Riccardo Calafiori's goal against Chelsea during Sunday's fixture on September 6.

Chelsea made a blistering start to the contest, with Morgan Rogers scoring inside the opening two minutes.

Calafiori appeared to restore parity for Arsenal shortly afterwards, tapping in at close range following a goalmouth scramble from a set-piece cross.

The Italian defender celebrated alongside his teammates, but referee Chris Kavanagh was directed to the pitchside monitor and subsequently overturned the decision.

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Why Calafiori's goal was disallowed

The Premier League's official X account, which provides real-time explanations for significant match decisions, confirmed the reasoning behind the call:

"VAR checked the referee's call of goal — and determined that Konsa was in an offside position in the build-up and recommended that the goal was disallowed."

Ezri Konsa's positioning during the sequence leading to the goal was therefore the decisive factor, with his presence deemed to have interfered with play before Calafiori converted.

Watch Calafiori's disallowed goal, as shared on X:

Havertz levels against Chelsea

Despite the setback, the defending Premier League champions avoided falling behind at the interval.

Kai Havertz pulled Arsenal level in the 25th minute, ensuring the sides went into the break on equal terms.

Watch Havertz's equaliser, as shared on X:

The goal carried additional significance given its context. According to Squawka, Havertz has now scored three Premier League goals against Chelsea, the club he departed before joining Arsenal.

He previously netted twice during a commanding 5-0 Arsenal victory over the Blues in April 2024, and added another against them in Sunday's encounter.

Martin Odegaard then gave Mikel Arteta's men the lead five minutes after the restart to complete the comeback.

Despite the visitors huffing and puffing, it proved futile as the Gunners held on to seal a 2-1 win and maintain their unbeaten run in the Premier League and go level with Man City at the summit of the table.

Opta updates Premier League title predictions

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Opta’s supercomputer had updated its Premier League title predictions after the second round of matches.

Arsenal remain the strong favourites, while Manchester City recorded the biggest increase in their title chances.

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Source: YEN.com.gh