Clear and obvious cases of misplaced outrage as VAR and new handball rule deny Manchester City against Tottenham
Another weekend of Premier League football, another batch of outrage at the correct implementation of new rules.
This time at Manchester City, where Gabriel Jesus’s stoppage-time would-be winner was disallowed after consultation with the video assistant referee.
Jesus’s strike was chalked off because it hit City defender Aymeric Laporte’s arm on its way to the Brazilian – in line with a new directive this season that even accidental handball by an attacking player in the lead-up to a goal must be penalised.
Read more: A bluffer’s guide to how VAR works in the Premier League
“Today’s VAR decision is really hard to take,” fumed City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan on Twitter.
“Any attacker that commits handball, intentional or not, is now ruled a free-kick? And if you’re defending it’s fine? It only disadvantages the attacking team.”
“It wouldn’t have been seen if we didn’t have VAR,” said former England midfielder Danny Murphy on Match of the Day, returning to a pet peeve.
“We were talking about ‘clear and obvious’. That’s not clear and obvious; the referee didn’t even see it.”
So was it harsh? Perhaps it felt so, particularly to City, but the fact that the handball was given should not come as a surprise to Gundogan or any of the City or Tottenham players. This rule change has been well trailed ahead of the new campaign.
Murphy’s complaints, meanwhile, are misplaced. The directive that VAR should only intervene for “clear and obvious errors” applies to subjective decisions only.
There is no doubt the ball hit Laporte’s arm, and on matters of objective fact, VAR is bound to review.
And for those still frothing at the injustice: what is the alternative? That these incidents be let go? That VAR be abolished? It would only transfer the outrage to the other team.
And what is the greater injustice: being denied a handball winner, or losing to a goal like that? Spurs will, quite understandably, have their own view.
As with all things VAR, the bottom line ought to be: when everything is considered, does this make the outcome more fair?
The answer on this occasion is yes – and that much is clear and obvious.
Gunners’ new recruits beginning to fire
It may not have been Harlem Globetrotters stuff or vintage Wengerball but there were promising flourishes to some of Arsenal’s attacking play in their 2-1 win over Burnley.
While trusty strikers Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put the ball in the net it was attacking midfielder Dani Ceballos who caught the eye for the Gunners.
The on-loan Real Madrid player put in an all-action display, driving Arsenal forward, showing his eye for a pass and winning the ball back for Aubameyang’s decisive goal.
Record signing Nicolas Pepe also had his moments off the bench, such as leaving Ben Mee for dead with a nonchalant nutmeg.
For all that Champions League qualification remains the priority for Unai Emery, entertainment was also in short supply at Emirates Stadium last year.
With the manager under pressure to improve on both counts if his contract is to be renewed next term, Saturday’s performance represented a step in the right direction.
Blunt message for Palace in loss to Blades
If there was relief at Crystal Palace that the English transfer window closed with Wilfried Zaha still at the club then there has been little further comfort since then.
Two games into the new campaign they have one point and no goals, following Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at top-flight newcomers Sheffield United.
Read more: The summer transfer window, analysed
Palace had more possession and more attempts on target but zero cutting edge and never looked like scoring.
Early though it is, the signs are that it could be a long season at Selhurst Park – and not just for Zaha.
Main image credit: Getty