da bwin： Referees chief Howard Webb says Liverpool should have been awarded a penalty after Arsenal's Martin Odegaard handled in the box at Anfield.
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Arsenal drew 1-1 at Liverpool in DecemberReds felt Odegaard handled in the boxPGMOL boss Webb says wrong call was made(C)Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
In Arsenal's 1-1 draw against the Reds in the Premier League in December, Odegaard's hand appeared to make contact with the ball, having lost his footing under pressure from Mohamed Salah. The Gunners got away with that one and now PGMOL boss Webb has given his verdict on the matter.
AdvertisementGETTYWHAT HOWARD WEBB SAID
Webb said on Michael Owen's Match Officials Mic'd Up: "The referee on the field recognised that Odegaard had slipped and saw his arm go to ground, we've talked in the past about supporting arms if somebody breaks their fall with the arm it's very natural, and that's a pretty well established concept.
"In this situation, though there's an important difference to a normal player that's fallen, it's not just Odegaard accidentally falling onto the ball. He does slip, the arm does go out, but he actually pulls his arm back in towards his body which is when the ball makes contact with the arm.
"The VAR looked at it and thought it was a case of Odegaard trying to make himself smaller by bringing the arm back towards the body. That's the element that's important here – whether it's instinctive or deliberate he gets a huge advantage by bringing the arm back towards the ball, and the feedback we got back was very clear; the game expects a penalty, in this situation. I would agree, and as such I think this was one that didn't reach the right outcome."
GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
While the introduction of VAR has increased the percentage of correct key match decisions, big mistakes are still being made by referees and the officials at Stockley Park using the technology. And this incident in the Liverpool versus Arsenal match was a clear example of that. Jurgen Klopp was furious that the penalty wasn't given, while William Saliba also felt it should have been a spot-kick.
WHAT NEXT?
VAR will once again be in use in the latest round of Premier League fixtures over the course of this weekend, where Arsenal host London rivals Crystal Palace at the Emirates on Saturday and the Reds travel to Bournemouth a day later.