Sports
Former Premier League boss Alan Pardew has urged the FA to change the handball law following Arsenal’s draw at Chelsea. Pardew claims Gunners defender William Saliba was unfairly punished for handling the ball in his own area.
The ball clearly struck Saliba’s arm following a cross which was headed towards goal by Mykhaylo Mudryk. The defender attempted to head the ball away but the touch from Mudryk took it onto his outstretched arm.
Referee Chris Kavanagh didn’t see it as a penalty in real time but VAR recommended a pitchside review, which ultimately saw him point to the spot. Pardew says, in the current state of the law, that a penalty was the right decision.
But he believes the wording of an “unnatural” arm position must be changed. Pardew says it is nearly impossible to decide whether an arm movement was indeed natural or not.
