Dermot Gallagher has agreed that Liverpool should’ve been awarded a penalty against Arsenal last night but has explained why officials did not award a spot kick despite the ball clearly being handled by Martin Odegaard.
Jurgen Klopp’s side fell behind to Gabrie’s header inside the first five minutes but Mo Salah’s superb strike just before the half hour mark ensured the spoils were shared at Anfield.
As the hosts were searching for an equaliser, however, Salah attempted to knock the ball past the Arsenal skipper only for his left hand to stop the ball.
Referee Chris Kavanagh allowed play to continue and VAR did not intervene despite many inside the ground calling for a penalty.
“I do agree (that a penalty should have been awarded),” former referee Gallagher told Premier League Productions (via Liverpool Echo). “When I first saw it, I thought he was slipping. I can understand the referee on the pitch not giving it.
“The VAR felt that, with the subjective nature of handball, he thinks he is slipping and his arm is coming in. If you see that last picture, it looks as though he moves towards the ball, and I think the more acceptable decision would have been a penalty.
“I could hear them speaking. I heard him say back to Chris Kavanagh that, ‘he has slipped and his arm is coming in towards his body, and he is making himself smaller’.
“Whether he has felt that and he isn’t seeing it like we have or whether he hasn’t seen the angle like we have. But, without doubt, the last angle we see is the most damning one. You see his arm come in, and, without doubt, he plays the ball.”
We agree with Gallagher in regards to his comments about the on field referee. Kavanagh couldn’t really give a decision with the incident happening at pace but for VAR to not intervene is just bemusing.
Odegaard stopped the ball from heading into a dangerous area and the excuse that he was using his hand to balance himself is nonsense because he stayed on his feet without his hands touching the ground.
The lack of consistency in the English top flight is extremely concerning. VAR was introduced to prevent such mistakes, but the technology is leading to more dreadful errors.
We’ve made these comments previously and we’re sure this won’t be the last time we have something to say about officiating in the Premier League.
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