The Citi Sports VAR Corner: 2023-24 Gameweek 16

Here are the most contentious decisions from Gameweek 16 in the Premier League.

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The Incident: Kai Havertz and Matty Cash scramble for the ball in the box, with Havertz eventually putting the ball in the back of the net. The referee, however, blows for handball by Havertz in the scramble, disallowing the goal. Replays show Havertz headed the ball onto the arm of Cash and it bounced back onto Havertz’s hand before being put into the net. VAR upheld the referee’s call.  (Aston Villa 1-0 Arsenal).

What IFAB’s rules say: “It is an offence if a player scores in the opponents’ goal directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper and immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm, even if accidental”

Verdict: This unfortunate decision for Arsenal is more on the law itself than on the referees or VAR. The law favours defenders more than it does attackers in this particular instance, as defenders are forgiven for accidental handballs in the box while attackers are punished. As the ball struck Havertz on the arm before he scored, even though it wasn’t intentional, the goal was always going to be disallowed.

But the ball struck Matty Cash on the arm. Should Arsenal not have got a penalty then? Well, no. The ball hit Cash on the top of the arm, closer to his shoulder, which does not qualify as a handball offence.

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The Incident: Gabriel Jesus and Douglas Luiz Challenge for the ball in Villa’s box. Jesus gets his foot to the ball first while Luiz appears to kick the back of the Arsenal forward’s leg despite getting a touch on the box. The referee waves away the appeals. VAR upholds this decision. (Aston Villa 1-0 Arsenal).

Verdict: A penalty should have been awarded to Arsenal. An argument can be made that the contact from Luiz was minimal but there was definitely contact which impeded Jesus’ ability to get the ball under control after touching it first. VAR should have, at least, recommended an on-field review of the incident.

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