A&H

Arsenal vs Aston Villa

The Referee Store
Looking at the 3rd arsenal goal, aren't there arsenal players in the wall? Don't the laws now prevent this?
 
VAR confirmed the decision.
Except that's not really how it works. VAR does not "confirm" subjective decisions made by the referee. The VAR considers whether a referee's subjective judgement call constitutes a clear and obvious error and if they think it does not, then they decline to recommend that the referee review the decision.

Now, as we all know by now, in the EPL it seems that there is no subjective decision by a referee that can ever be considered an obvious error, and there is never any judgement call, no matter how blatantly wrong it is, that requires a review - but that's a different issue.
 
OK, so leaving aside my poor wording for the moment, are there any grounds in the law as it is now written for the decision not to award a penalty for deliberate handball on this occasion? The nearest I can muster is that his arms were more or less by his side and maybe with a following wind and if you squint a bit the shot was "close" to him?
 
The game has to move to the Rugby League version of VAR where the decision is articulated throughout the process and crucially fans must be able to hear it; or else get rid.

It’s the catchphrase “say what you see” approach which is needed.
 
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