- Liverpool and Arsenal played out a thrilling 1-1 draw at Anfield on Saturday night
- The Reds felt aggrieved not to receive a penalty in the first half after a handball
- Arsenal were a better watch last season and played riskier football BUT they have more steel now… it could take them to the title – It’s All Kicking Off
William Saliba has admitted that Martin Odegaard’s handball in the first half of Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool should have resulted in a penalty.
The Gunners skipper slipped and handled the ball in the area shortly after Gabriel had given Mikel Arteta’s side an early lead at Anfield.
Referee Chris Kavanagh waved away the passionate protests of Liverpool players, while VAR David Coote decided not to instruct the official to take a second look at the pitchside monitor.
Odegaard’s intervention – however accidental – denied Mohamed Salah an opportunity to bare down on the Arsenal goal and Saliba believes that it should have been a penalty, though he maintained it was not his decision to make.
‘Yeah, of course.’ The 22-year-old chuckled in post-match comments to Viaplay. ‘It was a penalty but I’m not the ref and they have to accept [it].’
Liverpool felt they should have had a penalty in the first half after Martin Odegaard handled the ball in the area
Sheffield United defender George Baldock went unpunished after the ball struck his arm in the Blades’ 1-1 draw against Aston Villa
Jamie Carragher latched onto Saliba’s post-match comments and claimed VAR had missed the call in the Aston Villa match on Friday night
Former Reds defender and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher latched onto Saliba’s comments and claimed that VAR had also missed a ‘blatant’ handball in Aston Villa’s 1-1 draw with Sheffield United.
Blades defender George Baldock got away with a decision after appearing to move his arm towards the ball in the box.
Carragher claimed during commentary on Friday night that he believed it to be a worthy of a spot-kick and he reiterated his point on social media.
‘It was a penalty & the man of the match knows it!’ Carragher wrote on X, formerly Twitter. ‘Two blatant penalties for handball in the last two nights & VAR don’t get involved.’
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
