Keith Hackett reacts to Manchester City penalty controversy vs Crystal Palace after reviewing footage
Keith Hackett has agreed with the referee’s decision not to award Manchester City an early penalty during their 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Wednesday.
It was a routine win for Pep Guardiola’s side, as Antoine Semenyo, Omar Marmoush and Savinho all found the net at the Etihad Stadium as they remained in the title race.
As a result, they are now two points behind Arsenal with two matches left.
However, the victory was not without its controversies, with many Man City fans believing that they should have had a penalty for handball in the opening exchanges.
With goal difference having the potential to be crucial, Hackett has insisted that Stuart Attwell got the decision spot on in Man City’s win.
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VISIT THE MATCH HUBKeith Hackett: Jaydee Canvot’s arm was in natural position when ball hit
In the sixth minute of the match, Matheus Nunes looked to cross the ball into the box as City searched for an opener.
However, the ball would hit the trailing arm of Palace defender Jaydee Canvot.
| Match stats | Man City | Crystal Palace |
| Possession | 72.3% | 27.7% |
| Shots | 15 | 6 |
| Shots on target | 42 | 2 |
| xG | 1.56 | 0.68 |
| Corners | 9 | 4 |
Nunes was quick to demand a spot kick for the action as it prevented the ball from reaching one of his teammates.
These calls were then waved away from Attwell, with a corner being all that was awarded from the incident.
Three points secured! 🙌
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 13, 2026
🩵 3-0 🦅 @okx pic.twitter.com/KGYiZoeajY
Upon reviewing the footage, Hackett has exclusively told Football Insider that the officials got this decision right.
He said: “The referee has decided that the defender’s arm is in a natural position.
“The ball strikes the arm, but the reason that no offence has been committed is that the arm is positioned close to the body, down by the player’s side.”
Has Marmoush done enough to save his Man City career?
Football Insider exclusively revealed that Marmoush was being eyed by Aston Villa ahead of the summer transfer window.
The Man City attacker has struggled for consistent game time, with his opportunities being limited.
However, in a much-changed City side on Wednesday, he took his chance and netted the hosts’ second to calm any nerves at the Etihad.
Now, this could help resurrect his career at the Manchester club, which had been dwindling in recent months.
Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if Marmoush can now push to become a starter in Guardiola’s side once more.
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