Former FIFA referee Keith Hackett has voiced his concerns over the officiating decisions that went against Arsenal during the 2024/25 Premier League season. Speaking to Football Insider, Hackett highlighted several instances where he believes the Gunners were unfairly treated by match officials.
Arsenal, who finished second in the league behind Liverpool, received six red cards throughout the season—more than any other club—despite committing only 399 fouls, ranking 17th in the league. Hackett pointed to specific incidents, such as Declan Rice’s second yellow card for tapping the ball away against Brighton and Leandro Trossard’s dismissal against Manchester City, as examples of questionable officiating decisions that cost Arsenal valuable points.
Hackett expressed sympathy for the club, stating, “If you remember, I thought the Rice send-off for the tapping of the ball slightly away was nonsense. I think throughout the season there are a number of incidents where Arsenal have been treated fairly harshly”.
The former referee also suggested that Arsenal’s tendency to surround officials during controversial moments may have inadvertently led to harsher decisions against them. He remarked, “I think sometimes what happens is that when an incident takes place, Arsenal players, probably motivated by the manager, surround the referee and in doing so put the referee under a bit of pressure. I think the outcome is that that may escalate”.
Hackett’s comments add to growing concerns over the consistency of Premier League officiating, with Arsenal fans and analysts calling for improvements in referee decision-making. Whether these concerns will lead to changes remains to be seen, but the debate over fairness in officiating continues to be a hot topic in English football.
