Last night's Premier League match proved once again the inadmissibility of football matches, especially when the referee is in the spotlight. In Arsenal's clash with Liverpool at the top of the table, the referee's controversial decision was once again widely discussed. Although the game ended in a 1-1 draw, the reasonableness of certain decisions is still a hot topic among fans.
It took just three minutes for Arsenal to open the scoring through Gabriel's header, but then in the 20th minute, there was a puzzling scene. Odegaard's handball was not awarded for a handball while defending against Salah, which was the turning point of the game. According to the Premier League Referees (PGMOL), although Odegaard's arm moved towards his body when he slipped, according to FIFA rules, a handball foul depends not only on the direction of arm movement, but also on whether the position of the arm unnaturally expands the body area. From this point of view, the penalty is indeed debatable.
The most bizarre thing was that the referee and VAR turned a blind eye to this obvious handball foul. Footage from the scene shows that although the referee Chris Kavanagh was far from the place of the incident, his vision was not obstructed, and no penalty was made. This is not only a matter of referee decision, but also reflects some loopholes in the refereeing system.
The game ended in a draw, with Liverpool taking a point thanks to Mohamed Salah's goal. Despite maintaining an unbeaten run against Arsenal and Tottenham, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was clearly unhappy with the referee's decision. He pointed out in the interview that it was not clear exactly where the referee was at the time, but that the person sitting in the VAR room should have reacted to the situation. Jurgen Klopp has been troubled by refereeing issues on several occasions this season, and this incident is just one of them.
In fact, Liverpool have suffered a couple of major miscalculations this season, notably against north London sides. The last time it was against Tottenham, Dias's goal was wrongly ruled offside, and although the referee admitted the mistake, it could not change the outcome of the game. This can't help but remind people of the saying, "Bitter or not, think of the 'Reds' Liverpool". In such a situation, we have to feel sorry for Klopp and his team.
Overall, this game was not only a test for the team, but also a test for the refereeing system. While the game of football is inherently fraught with uncertainty, fair and accurate decisions are essential to ensure that the game is fair and enjoyable. Hopefully, in the future, the Premier League will improve in this regard, so that every game can show the true charm of football on a fair and just basis.