Wow - OK, so here is my read on the situation: Great call to "play on" by the ref - if that is indeed what he saw...the ball pings off Silva's arm and hits TAA's arm and is then cleared from the penalty box - all in a matter of seconds (or less between the two "hand balls"...if the ref actually saw the Silva "arm ball" then hit TAA's arm and he immediately thought, "nope - no hand ball on Silva because it gave him no advantage, and no handball on TAA because it first came off Silva's arm" and then he was able to follow the play to the other end of the field and see Fabinho crush the ball into the net...and then get confirmation from VAR that what he did was right... Yeah - wow!
I'm really disappointed that this excellent match and excellent football from us has denigrated into one second of was it a PK or not. Var said not. Discussion over. We won 3-1 and they were lucky to get one. 3 points puts us 8 points up at the top of the league. There's a long way to go yet guys. Lets stay focused and not get caught up in what never happened.
Right, but this isn't unique... this happens when a crazy moment happens in a football match, that's all. That said, the fact is LFC were easily the better side on the day. City created almost nothing; their crosses were over or in front of the heads and feet of their targets, Kun was taking not-great shots off target, and their goal, though the finish was sublime, actually required a deflection which was their best chance created on the day, thanks to a Liverpool defender's shin. They were 2nd best basically everywhere on the pitch.
A lot of pundits disagree with that, as they say it was definitely accidental by Bernardo. Whereas the determination had to be made about Trent's arm being raised unnaturally. However, if you switched around the angles and the exact same handball were to have diverted into the goal from Bernardo's hand there would be no chance of it being given. So, it can become a circular argument.....
None of that matters. However you judge the subjective parts of the action, there are no circumstances that can result in a ManC penalty.
I can't even figure out where the advantage would be in not calling Silva's handball? Certainly not with the team trying to defend within 8 yards of ther own goal....
Silva's handball was clearly accidental. So it only gets called as a foul if it leads to a goal or goal scoring opportunity.
Plus wouldn't VAR not been able to be used in this situation because when Citeh attempted to clear the ball (and gave it right to Fab), that's a fresh play. Right?
Good point, but if TAA's handball was deemed deliberate it can be argued play should have stopped immediately for a Liverpool free kick?
The only referee, former or current, who seems to think that it was a handball is Keith Hackett and we know here he stands regarding Liverpool. Dermott Gallagher had a calm, reasoned explanation on talkSPORT last night, trying to get a word n edgewise over Danny Mills's shrill yammering about handball, unnatural position, penalty blah, blah, blah. Gallagher's first instinct was that it was handball and a penalty. That is until he saw the view from behind the goal (Michael Oliver's view.) It wasn't a penalty, not at that velocity and not at that angle. In fact, Aguero and Alexander Arnold had mirror image silhouettes as they reacted to the changed direction of the ball after Silva flicked it. Pretty much every referee has said the same. By the way, Gallagher addressed a the question of whether he would have given a penalty had that been on the goal line-- the law for denying a goal-scoring opportunity on the goal-line is different
And we just completely outplayed the greatest team in the history of the Premier League. Liverpool are the best team in the world. This is the best Liverpool team I have ever seen. We are 8 points clear at the top of the table. Can we talk more about that and less out about one decision made by the referee?
Don't blame us, blame another international break that gives us 2 weeks to occupy our brains with bullshit.