Pgmol finally explains why Martin Ødegaard handball was not given vs Liverpool as the decision was to make Arsenal forget their past mistake against Newcastle and Aston villa even Gary Neville was left baffled
In the highly anticipated clash between Liverpool and Arsenal, both Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher were left perplexed when a penalty was not awarded to Liverpool after an apparent handball by Arsenal’s Martin Ødegaard. The match, which places the Gunners top of the table for Christmas Day, saw Gabriel Magalhães score a header from Ødegaard’s free-kick just four minutes into the game, leaving Anfield stunned.
The pivotal moment came midway through the first half when Ødegaard handled the ball in the penalty area after Mohamed Salah’s flick-on struck him at close range. Referee Chris Kavanagh failed to spot the incident, allowing Arsenal to launch a counter-attack. However, VAR David Coote reviewed the situation and chose not to award Liverpool a penalty.
Even Gary Neville, a former Manchester United defender, sided with Liverpool on commentary duty for Sky Sports, describing Ødegaard as “lucky.” After analyzing the replays, Neville speculated that Ødegaard’s slip and subsequent arm movement might have saved him from conceding a penalty. Jamie Carragher agreed with Neville’s assessment and believed that Ødegaard got away with one.
At half-time, Sky Sports revealed the official explanation provided by PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) as to why Liverpool did not receive the penalty. According to PGMOL, it was deemed “not a clear and obvious error” as Ødegaard’s arm was moving towards his body and not the ball as he went down. It wasn’t deemed deliberate or an unnatural action and he may have slipped.
Despite the disappointment of not being awarded a penalty, Liverpool managed to equalize through Salah’s sublime solo goal in the 29th minute, setting up an exciting second half. But neither side could find another breakthrough and it finished level.
While Liverpool fans may feel aggrieved by the decision, PGMOL’s explanation has left experts and pundits like Neville and Carragher baffled. The incident serves as a reminder of the subjective nature of refereeing decisions and the influence of VAR in modern football.
