Was it a penalty? Was the contact natural?
These are the questions that have divided fanbases with some of the most difficult spot-kick calls over the years.
This time around at Stamford Bridge, however, there could be absolutely no debate over the nature of Nicolas Jackson’s intervention in the penalty box following a Dominik Szoboszlai corner and the resulting action VAR should have objectively taken.
A handball – a BLATANT handball at that, and one that leaves us wondering, yet again, how on earth the officials at Stockley Park could have deemed the offending party innocent.
You have to wonder, eh?
You can catch the clip below, courtesy of beIN Sports & BBC Sport:
🚨| No penalty given to Liverpool for this handball by Jackson
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) August 13, 2023
No penalty ❌
No handball from Nicolas Jackson 👀#CHELIV pic.twitter.com/JcrfBliuhE
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 13, 2023
Same old same old, you would think by now we wouldave got this correct. The referees need to get together and decide for once and stick to what has been decided. Worse bunch I have seen.
Ref should have pulled on a blue shirt and be done with it,
How can Jackson’s hand be in a natural position? his hand is above his waist line nearer to his head than waist. (not given)
Last season against Arsenal at their ground the same thing happened Gabriel handled the ball and they said his hand in a natural position when his hand was above his head. (not given) .
Man U v Wolves united keeper takes out the Wolves player head high no pen given Wolves manager booked for demonstrating it was a pen .
Then you see the Luton handball and pen is given it just goes to highlight that the people doing VAR have not got a clue and these people are referees in their own right the VAR works it is the people with the final say who are ruining the beautiful game .
Howard Webb should be sacked he was brought in to stop the poor decision making by his staff he has not so should walk just a job for the boys in my opinion.
I am so fed up with the football that i pick and choose what games i watch and who is the ref and VAR team because I know the game will have an incident and the limelight will fall on the ref and var not the players.