PGMOL has provided an explanation for the non-award of a penalty to Liverpool in the case of Martin Odegaard’s ‘unusual’ handball incident during their match against Arsenal at Anfield.
The encounter between the two contenders for the Premier League title concluded in a 1-1 draw, featuring goals from Gabriel Magalhaes and Mohamed Salah.
However, Liverpool expressed dissatisfaction as referee Chris Kavanagh refrained from awarding them a penalty in the first half, despite the ball seemingly making contact with Odegaard’s hand inside the box.
Gary Neville, fulfilling commentary duties for Sky Sports, opined that Odegaard was fortunate as he lost his footing. On the other hand, Jamie Carragher believed the penalty should have been given.
‘I think it was a penalty for Liverpool,’ fellow commentator Carragher said. ‘He was very fortunate, Odegaard. When the ref doesn’t give it, the VAR is very unlikely to change the decision.’
Liverpool’s manager, Jurgen Klopp, characterized the incident as ‘unusual’ in his post-match remarks to the BBC, stating, ‘The penalty situation is a weird situation.’
Odegaard was going down, falling and could not do anything about his hands that's why a penalty was not given but am not trying to justify it it's upto you and how you perceive it ???? pic.twitter.com/O8ltp4bd1c
— Sticker (@tingz08) December 23, 2023
‘I don’t know if the ref can see it, but you look at it and I’m not sure how you can say it’s not a penalty.’
Speaking to Sky Sports, Klopp appeared to take aim at VAR official David Coote, he said: ‘I’m pretty sure someone will explain it to me and tell me it’s not a handball, but I don’t know how.
‘I don’t say that the ref can see it because I don’t know where he was in that moment.
‘But how can a guy in an office see that and not come to the conclusion that maybe, possibly it could be worth the referee having another look?’
According to Sky Sports, the PGMOL claimed a penalty was not given because ‘Odegaard’s arm is moving towards the body and not the ball as he goes down’.
Neville, watching a replay of the incident in the game, added: ‘I think he may just slip there. ‘That right leg is giving way which means his left arm goes down. I think that’s what saves him.
‘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.’
The FA handbook on the Laws of the Game states: ‘It is an offence if a player deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, for example moving the hand/arm towards the ball; Touches the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger.
‘A player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player’s body movement for that specific situation. By having their hand/arm in such a position, the player takes a risk of their hand/arm being hit by the ball and being penalised.’
