Arsenal news: Pundit disagrees with Neville and Lineker

By Alan Hutton

24th Oct, 2023 | 2:26pm

Arsenal news: Pundit disagrees with Neville and Lineker as latest William Saliba footage analysed

Chelsea were right to be awarded a penalty after William Saliba’s handball for Arsenal.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, former Tottenham and Aston Villa defender Alan Hutton suggested that Saliba was not in a natural position when the ball struck his arm.

As shown in the latest footage on Sky Sports (22 October), the Blues were awarded a penalty following a lengthy VAR check as the ball hit the Arsenal defender’s arm as he stretched for a header.

Saliba’s arm was deemed to be in an unnatural position and had made his body bigger when the shot was blocked.

Both Gary Neville and Gary Lineker have questioned the handball law following the decision and did not agree with awarding the spot kick, which Cole Palmer fired home.

But Hutton disagreed with Neville and Lineker and felt the officials got it right on this occasion.

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“I think [Mykhailo] Mudryk gets to the ball first, it looks like it is going on target, it is a decent header.

As Saliba jumps, some people have said his arm is in a natural position but I am not so sure, I think they are wrong, I think it is kind of like he tried to save it.

As soon as I saw it I knew he was going to give it as a penalty. I think it was on target and that for me was a clear one. I think when you actually throw your arms out wider, that is when it becomes a real problem.”

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