PGMOL chief Howard Webb has explained why Kai Havertz had a goal disallowed during Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa.
The Gunners suffered a 1-0 defeat to Unai Emery’s side on Saturday, but they came agonisingly close to clinching a point late in the game.
GettyKai Havertz has a goal disallowed against Aston Villa[/caption]
Sky SportsHoward Webb has revealed why it didn’t count[/caption]
Havertz thought he had scored from close range with just a few minutes to play, but the goal was immediately ruled out due to a handball.
Arsenal fans were left furious when a VAR check appeared to show defender Matty Cash handling the ball in the penalty area.
Many believed that VAR missed the second handball, but on the latest episode of Match Officials: Mic’d Up on Sky Sports refs chief Webb clarified the situation.
He revealed: “The law states that any contact with an attacker’s hand or arm, which leads to a goal immediately, has to be penalised.
“This is a really good on-field decision in that respect. The law requires him to penalise when he sees that contact on Kai Havertz’s arm.
“It’s not intentional, but it still has to be penalised.
“We see this kind of situation and yet seconds earlier it hits Matty Cash’s arm and he doesn’t get penalised – he can’t be penalised because he has to commit a different kind of offence as a defender, naturally bigger or deliberately handball it.
“The law is constantly under review, maybe it will change, but in this circumstance the decision has been given as a disallowed goal, VAR checks the footage, and they see an angle where the ball hits Havertz’s arm.
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“Interestingly, if Eddie Nketiah had scored the goal, it would have stood. It only relates to the goalscorer – in this case Havertz.”
The defeat to Aston Villa saw Arsenal slip to second in the Premier League table.
Mikel Arteta refused to comment on his side’s controversial disallowed goal after the match.
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