Howard Webb admits review found officials' costly error in Liverpool vs Arsenal

16 January 2024 , 21:26

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Howard Webb admitted VAR made a mistake (Image: Sky Sports)

Referees chief Howard Webb has admitted Liverpool should have had a penalty after Martin Odegaard’s handball at Anfield last month.

Arsenal captain Odegaard clearly handled the ball but referee Chris Kavanagh did not give a spot kick despite a VAR check. It caused major controversy with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp insisting a penalty should have been given while Odegaard’s defence was that he had slipped and put his arm down to support himself when he touched the ball.

The Match Officials Mic’d Up show played back the VAR audio which decided it wasn’t a penalty as Odegaard had slipped and they thought he was trying to move away from the ball. And PGMOL chief Webb said: “I think this is one where we didn’t reach the right decision.

“He gets a huge advantage by bringing the arm back towards the ball. All the feedback we got afterwards was that the game expects a penalty and I would agree.” That was the decision deemed as a big mistake in the show as Webb made it clear that Luton’s late leveller at Burnley on Friday night deserved to stand.

Speaking after the game, which finished 1-1 after goals from Gabriel Magalhaes and Mohamed Salah, Klopp said: "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. I’m pretty sure someone will explain it to me about why it wasn’t a handball, but I don’t know how," he said.

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"I don't say the ref can see it because I have no clue where he was at that moment. But that's another question. When somebody sits in the office, how can they not come to the conclusion that it might be worth having another look at it."

Martin Odegaard escaped punishment for this handball

HAVE YOUR SAY! Should Liverpool have been awarded a penalty? Comment below.

The FA handbook on the Laws of the Game clearly set out what a handball offence. It 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."

John Cross