Liverpool will be annoyed at the fact that they aren’t sitting at the top of the Premier League table following their 1-1 draw against Arsenal at Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp’s side pleaded for a penalty when they felt that Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard intentionally handled the ball when Mohamed Salah tried to flick the ball past him.
The on-field referee waved the play on, with Dermot Gallagher sharing what VAR said about the incident.
Michael Owen and Ian Wright both thought that the penalty should have been awarded to Liverpool, as they told Premier League Productions (23/12/23 at 7:55 pm).
Even with his Arsenal hat on, Ian Wright ‘didn’t understand’ the call because he felt that Liverpool were denied a ‘clear goalscoring opportunity’.
Whilst Michael Owen spoke about the handball rule in general and how it’s ‘a bit of a mess’ and nobody, not even the referees, like the rules.
All in all, it meant that the spoils were shared and it’s Arsenal who are sitting top of the Premier League table at Christmas.
Martin Odegaard handball
“I thought it was a penalty,” said Owen. “I thought the hand went towards the ball. Mo Salah was flicking it around him and was about to run onto it, then Odegaard stops it with his hand.
“It doesn’t look like it was intentional, but he does move his hand towards the ball and stops it, so I think it’s a penalty.”
Wright added: “If you give that, then why wouldn’t you give that? What reason would you give that you aren’t going to give it? I can’t see how that’s not a penalty. I am delighted, in the end, because you don’t lose the game.
“I can’t understand how you can look at that and not give a penalty for that – look at Mo Salah. He is going past him and around him. The fact that his hand has stopped it in the box – they have actually stopped a goalscoring opportunity.”
Owen added: “I think we have been as far away from being happy with the handball rule, in the general game. Whether it’s managers, players, fans and authorities. Even referees don’t particularly like the handball rule. I think we are in a bit of a mess, at the moment, with the handball (rule).”
Point suits Arsenal better
Given that there is still a long way to go, you can’t really define what this result means in the context of the Premier League title race.
But if anyone benefits from it, then it’s Arsenal because they will back themselves to win the reverse fixture at the Emirates and, as of this moment, they are still top of the table.
The only issue for Arsenal with all of this is their performances on the road against the so-called bigger sides.
Defeat at Newcastle United and Aston Villa. Dropped points at Stamford Bridge. And now the same outcome at Anfield.
This will have to improve on that if they want to be lifting the Premier League title at the end of the season.
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