Gary Lineker hit the nail on the head with his verdict on a ‘tad bewildering’ officiating call around Martin Odegaard’s blatant handball against Liverpool.
Rather bizarrely, the Norway international was let off the hook by the VAR team at Stockley Park who adjudged the midfielder’s contact with the ball to be accidental rather than intentional and opted to not award a spot-kick.
Alan Shearer was likewise surprised by the decision, speaking on BBC MOTD: “I think Arsenal got very, very fortunate here.
“I mean, I really think that’s a handball. When you consider some of the other handball decisions we’ve seen.
“I know he slips, but his arms are out wide and when he hits it, he hits it twice.”
The former Newcastle United man added, after Micah Richards’ intervention (‘Is it not falling now?’): “Well, he didn’t fall did he? He didn’t fall at all!”
How many points has VAR cost Liverpool now?
Whilst it’s difficult to say with total confidence that Liverpool would be five points better off had calls against Tottenham and London rivals Arsenal gone our way, fans have every right to feel a little cheated.
We can appreciate that the constant chopping and changing of the laws governing the game can make things a tad confusing.
That said, if virtually every pundit and former professional to have viewed the incident after the fact are assertive in stating that Odegaard’s contact with the ball should have resulted in a penalty – how on earth have the officials at Stockley Park come to a different conclusion?
We’re a point off the top, but it feels like there’s an argument we should be topping the tree at Christmas.
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The VAR teams seem to be untouchable, any comment about there handling is shot down straight away and fines given out, even if the VAR team are wrong.