Mikel Arteta gave a cryptic response to the choice to disallow Kai Havertz’s late equaliser at Aston Villa, repeating the phrase “clear and obvious” when requested for his views.
Havertz bundled the ball over the road within the closing minutes at Villa Park to seemingly make the rating 1-1, just for referee Jarred Gillett to right away penalise the Arsenal midfielder for handball.
Replays appeared to point out the ball grazing Havertz’s hand earlier than he poked it into the online. FA guidelines state “it is an offence if a player scores immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm, even if accidental.”
Chatting with Sky Sports activities, Arteta merely mentioned: “I prefer not to comment.” The supervisor was additionally sad in regards to the choice to not penalise Douglas Luiz for what he believed to be a foul within the space on Gabriel Jesus, saying that incident was “even clearer”.
When pushed on his response to the 2 flashpoints in his post-match press convention, Arteta merely mentioned: “Clear and apparent. Clear and apparent. That is what I imply.
“That’s my opinion. That’s all I can say.”
Arteta is already in sizzling water with the FA for his outspoken criticism of the choice to award Anthony Gordon’s winner for Newcastle in opposition to Arsenal final month.
Redknapp: It is a garbage rule
Talking on Sky Sports activities, Jamie Redknapp admitted Gillett and the VAR officers – who spent a number of minutes checking the disallowed objective earlier than agreeing with the on-field name – made the proper choice.
Nevertheless, he hit out on the guidelines themselves, saying: “Sadly it is the rule. It is a horrible rule that if the ball touches a participant’s hand after which a objective happens after it, it then turns into a handball – which is ridiculous when you concentrate on it.
“It’s a rubbish rule. How can that be handball? It looks like it could hit Matty Cash, it’s just rebounding around.
“Return to handball, ball at hand. I believe that we’re getting ourselves in such a multitude with these guidelines on a regular basis.
“How on earth can that be handball? He’s not meant to do it. It’s a rubbish law.
“It is the rule in the intervening time, but when we’re making an attempt to assist soccer and making an attempt to enhance it and make it a greater spectacle with extra objectives, then the powers that be have to take a look at that and go, ‘It is a garbage rule’.
“It’s grazed his arm. He’s not meant to do it. If he sticks his arm out and it hits his hand, that would be handball anyway.
“However whoever’s determined to give you that because the legislation, I believe it is ridiculous as a result of it is price Arsenal a objective.”
‘Jesus incident wasn’t a penalty’
Nevertheless, Redknapp and Karen Carney had much less sympathy for Arteta when it got here to the Luiz deal with on Jesus.
Gillett determined to not award Arsenal a penalty after the Brazil internationals collided and VAR agreed after a brief examine.
“Arsenal fans will be saying there’s contact but when I first saw it, for me it wasn’t enough,” Carney mentioned on Sky Sports activities.
“The threshold wasn’t high enough to give a penalty.
“He does barely hook his leg however for me it isn’t sufficient, so I do not assume it’s a penalty.”
Redknapp added: “We noticed one at this time with Crystal Palace and Liverpool and persons are making an attempt to match that, however I do not assume they’re the identical.
“I don’t think that one is a penalty.”