Referees’ chief Howard Webb says Liverpool should have been awarded a penalty for a Martin Odegaard handball during their 1-1 draw with Arsenal last month.
The points were shared at Anfield as Mohamed Salah cancelled out Gabriel Magalhaes’ early opener and the first-half incident involving Odegaard proved hugely contentious, with Jurgen Klopp left bemused by the decision.
The result on Merseyside saw Mikel Arteta’s Gunners – last year’s runners-up in the Premier League – secure top spot at Christmas.
Replays on the day showed Odegaard slip and handle the ball after a deft touch from Salah, but referee Chris Kavanagh opted against pointing to the spot before VAR checked and confirmed the decision.
Now, the Match Officials Mic’d Up show has released audio of the VAR process from the heavyweight clash on December 23, with Kavanagh heard saying, ‘No, his hand’s on the floor,’ as Liverpool’s players appealed for penalty.
But former Premier League referee Webb – who took charge of the UEFA Champions League and FIFA World Cup finals in 2010 – believes Arsenal captain Odegaard gained a ‘huge advantage’ and, ultimately, the wrong call was made.
‘The referee on the field recognised that Odegaard had slipped and saw his arm go towards the ground,’ the PGMOL chief said.
‘This is not just Odegaard accidentally falling on to the ball. He does slip, his 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.
PGMOL chief Howard Webb talks through VAR’s decision to not award Liverpool a penalty for a possible handball against Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard ð pic.twitter.com/xAOm6o4xLM
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 16, 2024
‘The VAR looked at that aspect. He felt it was a case of Odegaard trying to make himself actually smaller by bringing the arm back towards the body. That is 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. All the feedback we got afterwards was very clear.
‘This is one that didn’t reach the right outcome on that basis.’
