Southampton were always unlikely to receive a penalty after Leo Scienza went down against Arsenal at St Mary’s Stadium.

Keith Hackett, former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, told Football Insider exclusively that referee Samuel Barrott’s judgment on Saturday, April 4, was spot on.

Only three minutes into the game, the Championship club was clamouring for a penalty kick, with Scienza falling under pressure from Gabriel Magalhaes, but his cries went unheard.

Southampton posed a significant threat to Arsenal, with Ross Stewart opening the scoring for the home side in the 35th minute, but it could have started even sooner on the south coast.

Samuel Barrott aided Arsenal in escaping an early penalty.

After reviewing the footage, it was suggested that the Saints’ No.13 was fortunate not to have been cautioned for an act of simulation. Now we have a specialist’s perspective on the issue.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former referee stated: “Referee Samuel Barrott, after a great sprint, was ideally positioned to correctly turn down Southampton’s appeals for a penalty kick.”

“Early in the game, he decided not to yellow-card Scienza for simulation. “I agree with this decision.

Scienza caused all sorts of problems for the Gunners in the first half, and his early penalty claim was only a foreshadowing of what was to come from the 27-year-old Brazilian.

What did Darren Cann, the former Premier League assistant referee, say?

Of course, the home fans were hoping to see the referee point to the penalty spot, but were left disappointed when no such judgment was made.

Speaking live on BBC One (4 April, 8:06pm), Darren Cann stated: “For me, there is no penalty, no contact, or very little contact.” The forward is looking for a penalty. I do not expect VAR to intervene at all.”

Tonda Eckert’s team pressed on, buoyed by their early chances, and Scienza should have put them ahead before Stewart seized on an error by Ben White.

He had rounded Kepa Arrizabalaga, but after taking too long to attempt a shot, he was pressed away from goal and forced to commit a foul inside the penalty area.