Jurgen Klopp labelled the incident as ‘weird’ after Liverpool’s draw vs Arsenal (Picture: Sky)
PGMOL have explained why Liverpool were denied a penalty for Martin Odegaard’s ‘weird’ handball during their clash against Arsenal at Anfield.
The showdown between the two Premier League title challengers ended in a 1-1 draw with goals from Gabriel Magalhaes and Mohamed Salah.
But the Reds were left disappointed when referee Chris Kavanagh did not hand them a spot kick in the first half as the ball appeared to hit Odegaard’s hand in the box.
Gary Neville, on commentary duties for Sky Sports, believed Odegaard was ‘lucky’ because he lost his footing – but Jamie Carragher felt it 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 manager Jurgen Klopp labelled the incident as ‘weird’ after the match as he told the BBC: ‘The penalty situation is a weird situation.
‘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, as he added: ‘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 stated a penalty was not awarded because ‘Odegaard’s arm is moving towards the body and not the ball as he goes down’.
Neville, watching a replay of the incident, 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.
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‘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.’
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