Chelsea felt aggrieved to lose Reece James to a red card on the stroke of half-time for a handball on the line during their game against Liverpool at Anfield.
The visitors took the lead thanks to Kai Havertz’s superbly executed back header from a James corner and had a golden chance to double their advantage through Mason Mount, before Liverpool gradually hauled themselves back into the contest.
In first-half injury time, an almighty scramble inside Chelsea’s six-yard-box eventually resulted in a penalty being awarded and James shown a red card. Joel Matip’s header off the bar rebounded the way of Sadio Mane, whose goal-bound prodded effort was cleared to safety by James stationed on the line.
Initially, it looked as though James had successfully blocked the ball with his thigh before unintentionally making contact with his right arm. However, after being instructed to review the incident by VAR official Chris Kavanagh, referee Anthony Taylor deemed James guilty of handballing Mane’s shot on purpose and sent him off for denying a goalscoring opportunity.
According to the International Football Association Board’s laws of the game, “where a player denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by a handball offence the player is sent off wherever the offence occurs.”
Mo Salah sent Edouard Mendy the wrong way from the penalty spot to level the score, before mini-melee took place in the Chelsea box. Mendy and Antonio Rudiger were both cautioned for their complaints after the goal, with the goalkeeper appearing to kick out at Jordan Henderson as he tried to collect the ball from the back of the net.
Denial of a goalscoring opportunity
Where a player denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by a handball offence the player is sent off wherever the offence occurs.
Where a player commits an offence against an opponent within their own penalty area which denies an opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and the referee awards a penalty kick, the offending player is cautioned if the offence was an attempt to play the ball; in all other circumstances (e.g. holding, pulling, pushing, no possibility to play the ball etc.) the offending player must be sent off.
A player, sent-off player, substitute or substituted player who enters the field of play without the required referee’s permission and interferes with play or an opponent and denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity is guilty of a sending-off offence
Sky Sports commentator Gary Neville felt that Taylor had made the right decision. “I thought it was handball,” he said. “It’s his knee onto his arm. I think that right arm swings as if it is trying to save it in some way. I know it hits his leg first but it’s just the movement of the arm.”
Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believed the decision to send James off was harsh. “I think it’s a natural position,” he argued at half-time. “He goes first with his knee, with his thigh, that hits the ball first. That’s why his arm is moving as well. Yes, the ball hits his arm. The referee has a decision to make. Would I want a penalty there as well? Yes.
“You can’t hold your arm behind your back when your knee goes up.”
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/38nICyI
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