Ex-PGMOL boss blasts ‘crass law’ as double handball controversies re-analysed in Arsenal vs Man United
Craig Pawson was spot-on to wave away two major handball calls, as Man United beat Arsenal in a five-goal thriller at the Emirates Stadium.
That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that Mikel Arteta had little to fume about as Man City moved within four points of Arsenal.
Bruno Fernandes was the star once again as Michael Carrick made it two wins from two, having also claimed bragging rights in the Manchester derby, but the game was not without its controversies.
After Bryan Mbeumo cancelled out Lisandro Martinez‘s own goal, Patrick Dorgu fired home beautifully from long range in the 50th minute, but home fans were adamant there was a handball in the build-up.
Patrick Dorgu and Harry Maguire both examined
Then, in the 71st minute, Mikel Merino let fly from the edge of the penalty area, only to see Harry Maguire‘s hand take the sting out of his goal-bound shot, but penalty calls were waved away.
Both incidents were checked, and with Merino eventually grabbing the Gunners’ second in the 84th minute, Pawson made some key decisions, which certainly had an impact on the game.
Arsenal fans are desperate to win the Premier League title. And so too is Pep Guardiola and his team, who are now just four points behind the league leaders after the weekend’s developments.
While fans in North London continue to debate the contentious decisions, Hackett is absolutely certain that the correct decision was made on both occasions, even hailing the referee for the role he played.
Craig Pawson stars in Man United vs Arsenal
Hackett, exclusively speaking to Football Insider on The Final Whistle, said: “Handball is a crass law. It’s too open to subjectivity, which creates an inconsistency in match officials.
“We’re looking for deliberate actions, but the lawmakers fail to take into account the movement of players. With the first one, I’m happy that the player had his hand down by his side when he scored.
“I’m never going to rule that out. Then, there’s the scenario where the player [Maguire] falls on the ball. That’s not deliberate; that’s not handball. You can’t do anything about that.
“Good calls, good game, and I think Craig Pawson stayed out of it and had a good performance.”