Liverpool were denied a penalty against Arsenal despite Martin Odegaard appearing to grab the ball as the midfielder’s arm was directed towards his body.
The Gunners had taken an early lead thanks to Gabriel’s brilliant header in Saturday night’s clash at the most sensitive part of the table. But the visitors breathed a sigh of relief after 20 minutes when Odegaard narrowly avoided kicking.
The Arsenal captain was in the penalty area when he passed the ball, and the Norwegian turned when he passed it. But Odegaard gave the impression of grabbing the ball as he turned, prompting Liverpool to award a penalty.
The midfielder had slipped though, with the handball coming as he reached out to steady himself. Referee Chris Kavanagh waved away the calls for a penalty, with Arsenal themselves breaking forwards straight away.
In doing so, VAR official David Coote investigated the incident and temporarily upheld Kavanagh’s appeal not to award a penalty kick. According to Sky Sports, PGMOL said no penalty was awarded because “Odegaard’s arm moves towards the frame and not towards the ball as it is”. going down. “
When a replay of the incident was broadcast on Sky Sports, Manchester United legend Gary Neville acknowledged the mistake as the reason. Neville said: “I think he could slide in there. This right leg provides the path, which means his left arm is falling. I think that’s what saves him. “
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“I think he’s lucky but it might be that his foot gives way which means he puts his arm down to try and rebalance and that saves him. Because he slips, his hand goes back at the same time as a counter balance.”
However, not everyone agreed with the decision, with Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher insisting Odegaard was lucky. He said: “I think it’s a penalty. I think he’s lucky with Odegaard. Maybe there’s something on the slide, but I think it’s a foul. “
The FA Laws of the Game Manual obviously defines what an infringement is in handball, but it is unclear whether the Odegaard incident meets any of the criteria. The manual states: “It is an infraction if a player:
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“He deliberately touches the ball with his hand/arm, for example, by moving his hand/arm towards the ball; He touches the ball with his hand/arm while his body has become abnormally enlarged.
“A player must have made his body abnormally larger when the position of his hand/arm is not the result of, or is not justifiable through the movement of the player’s body for that express situation. By having his/her hand/arm in such a position, the player assumes the threat that his/her hand/arm will be hit through the ball and will be penalized.
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