1.) 03 Feb 2019
03 Feb 2019 18:30:26
As a footnote to my article, watching today's City v Arsenal match, there were too remarkable moments that support my article. From open play in the first half, an Arsenal player tried to dink the ball past a pressing City player and it struck his midriff and hand. Play on said Martin Atkinson. Man City's third goal is scored by Aguero sliding in on a cross which is deflected back away from his feet. Instead it hits his arm and rolls into the goal. The Goal stands. No hand ball as it wasn't deliberate.


2.) 04 Feb 2019
04 Feb 2019 02:00:35
As a Saints supporter I'm pretty peeved that the penalty was given but on the other hand if it had been a Burnley player doing the same thing in their penalty area I would have wanted a penalty. The thing in this case was the ref made a mistake by not giving a penalty to Burnley in the first half and I think that he possibly realised that and when Stephens hand was up in the air it gave him the opportunity to make amends. Seems like all refs have their own interpretation of laws especially the handball law.


3.) 04 Feb 2019
04 Feb 2019 09:44:58
At the end of the day, Stephens' arm was in an unnatural position. And that is the only thing the referee sees. His arm is up and the ball hits him on the arm. I think the other laws that you have written were not in play, as he does not bring his arm towards the ball and he has no opportunity to move his arm away as the ball was too close to him. Until VAR comes in, the referee will never catch Crouch fouling him, as he's too close to Stephens but we can see in the replays that he's clearly holding his shirt.
I think the handball law will always come down to interpretation at the time of the handball. Stephens' arm was up straight so to be fair to the ref, he had to give it.