Gary Neville and Mike Dean agree on Arsenal handball claim vs Liverpool as VAR decision analysed

Gary Neville and Mike Dean believe the officials were right not to award Arsenal a penalty during their 1-0 defeat to Liverpool. Toward the end of the clash at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, the ball struck Dominik Szoboszlai's arm while he was defending a long throw into the box.

Joe Gomez leapt above Viktor Gyokeres, but he mistimed his header and blocked the eye-line of his colleague, who stood behind him. The England international failed to make contact with the ball, which fell onto the upper arm of Szoboszlai.

The ricochet looped back over Gyokeres' shoulder, and the Reds eventually managed to clear their lines before the final whistle. Despite desperate claims for a penalty from some of the Arsenal players, Chris Kavanagh did not adjudge Liverpool's goalscorer to have committed a handball offence.

The Video Assistant Referee, John Brooks and his assistant at Stockley Park, Sian Massey-Ellis, reviewed the incident and agreed with the on-field decision. On Sky Sports' Super Sunday show, Neville and Dean analysed the decision.

The Manchester United legend said: "I mean, I wouldn't want it [awarded] against me, particularly when you've got loads of bodies in front of you and you can't really see it. It does hit his upper arm."

Former Premier League referee Dean added: "It's in that area where it's like is it red zone or is it blue zone? To be fair, the ball has travelled a long way. His arm has never gone toward the ball. The ball has just hit him and, for me, it is the correct decision on field."

Neville replied: "I think if he had a clear sight of it and he jumps and it hits his arm it's a penalty, but the fact there's four or five bodies in front of him and it comes over the top of them – you can't see it."

Later on the Super Sunday show, Roy Keane described Arsenal as 'robotic' as they suffered their first defeat of the new Premier League season. The former United captain said: "I feel like Arsenal, a bit like at Old Trafford, if you look at their attacking play, that day and today, just wasn't good enough. Not sharp enough, they need to do better.

"I think it's great when they have the defensive record that they have and their good at set pieces, you've got to give them credit for that. But if you're dependent on that all the time then you come to Liverpool where they're defending well, it's hard to.

"Do something a little bit different. You're looking at Arsenal going - do something off the cuff, do something quickly. There was a bit of rush in their play when they were chasing the goal, but in general play, you're thinking, do something quickly.

"Going forward, they are a bit robotic," added Keane. "With the set pieces you give them a thumbs up, but they have to find something else."

Echoing the Irishman's concerns with Arsenal, Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher said: "There was a lot of feeling last season about what Arsenal needed and that they needed someone up front to finish all of their chances.

"I've never believed Arsenal's problem was finishing. Arsenal's problem is creating. That was the problem for them last season: they don't create enough. You can look at the numbers; it's all there in black and white.

"From last season, Arsenal needed to shift slightly, become a bit more proactive with the ball. Okay, you bring in [Martin] Zubimendi, and you bring in Eze and Gyokeres up front.

"It's only three games, but in the two away games we've seen Arsenal in this season, nothing has changed. Heavily reliant on set pieces, don't create anything in open play and the best team in Europe for me, defensively."

Story Saved

You can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.