The ball struck Trent Alexander Arnold's hand inside the box
The ball struck Trent Alexander Arnold's hand inside the box

Liverpool 3-1 Man City: Premier League explain why Man City's penalty appeal against Trent Alexander-Arnold wasn't given


The Premier League have explained why Trent Alexander-Arnold didn't concede 'that' penalty appeal but Pep Guardiola was still fuming over the decision as Liverpool ran out 3-1 winners at Anfield.

The defending champions were still arguing for a handball by Alexander-Arnold in the box when Fabinho fired in a stunning goal from outside the box to give the hosts a 1-0 lead after six minutes.

Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane put the game out of sight before a late consolation for Bernardo Silva as the leaders moved eight points clear at the top and nine ahead of fourth-placed City.

But the post-match debate centred around that hotly disputed first-half incident.

Referee Michael Oliver waved away the appeals after Kevin De Bruyne's cross deflected up off Bernando Silva's arm first before hitting the defenders outstretched limb.

The Premier League referees body (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) have since explained it wasn't awarded because Alexander-Arnold's arm was not in an "unnatural position" and that there wasn't enough reaction time for him to move his arm out of the way.

The official handball rules state a player will be penalised if an arm or hand makes the body ‘unnaturally bigger’ and this usually occurs when they are above the shoulder or if the arm or hand are away from the body in a standing position.

This explanation won't make Pep Guardiola feel any better, with the Man City boss clearly fuming over the decision.

After the game he told Sky Sports: "Ask the referees. Ask the referees, not me. Ask Mike Riley and the guys running the VAR. I'm trying to do a job, I'm trying to talk about our performance that was so good."

Klopp said he had not seen a replay of City's penalty claim which preceded Liverpool's opener but sympathised with Guardiola's side.

The German told Sky Sports: "No, I didn't see it. People told me that at first it hit Bernardo Silva's hand and then it was Trent's hand. Someone has to decide that. If Bernardo Silva had scored with his hand it would have been disallowed, wherever the hand was. Who wants to make that decision?

"I didn't see it but I understand each disappointment after conceding a goal after a situation like this, 100 per cent. We would have felt exactly the same."

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Alexander-Arnold said: "There's VAR and it has hit my arm but I think it might have hit Bernardo Silva's first. It's one of them where you have to carry on playing and we went down the other end and punished them.

"They were complaining about the goal...we went down the other end and went 1-0 up."

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