Martin Keown rages at Arsenal handball as Mikel Arteta slams referees missing ‘punch to head’

Arsenal legend Martin Keown vented his fury after a penalty was awarded in opposition to the Gunners in contentious circumstances.

Referee Istvan Kovacs known as a handball in opposition to Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino of their Champions League defeat at Inter Milan regardless of his arm being near his physique and having little to no time to react.

Inter midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu made no mistake from the ensuing spot kick within the third minute of first-half stoppage time to seal a 1-0 win for the Serie A aspect, and the incident left a bitter style in Keown’s mouth.

“Is his arm in an unnatural place? It actually is not,” Keown stated on TNT Sports activities.

“I do not know who determines that… it is ruining our sport, it actually ruins Arteta’s workforce discuss.”

Fellow TNT Sports activities commentator Ally McCoist was in settlement, and says a serious rule change to handball legal guidelines is required.

“The legislation has to vary and the phrase ‘deliberate’ has to come back again into it,” McCoist stated.

“That isn’t deliberate.”

It is unlikely a penalty would’ve been awarded if this occurred in a Premier League sport as new handball legal guidelines have been launched earlier than the beginning of this season.

Within the Premier League, referees think about mitigating components when deciding whether or not to penalise a handball.

These embody the participant’s proximity to the ball, whether or not the participant’s arm is used to assist their physique whereas falling and whether or not the participant deflects or performs the ball onto their very own arms.

The Italian aspect was maybe a little bit lucky to not have given away a penalty earlier within the contest, with Merino as soon as once more within the thick of the motion.

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Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer jumped up and tried to punch a cross from Gunners winger Gabriel Martinelli to security.

Nonetheless, the Swiss worldwide missed the ball and as an alternative made contact with Merino, who acquired his head to the ball first.

But Kovacs didn’t deem the incident worthy of a penalty and VAR shared the identical view.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was understandably pissed off after the match concerning Sommer’s incident.

“I really feel like we have been very harshly executed tonight,” Arteta informed TNT Sports activities.

Arteta additionally felt his workforce ought to ‘clearly’ have had a penalty as Sommer ‘punches him [Merino] within the head.’

The Spaniard was additionally perplexed as to why Kovacs deemed Merino’s handball worthy of a penalty.

“There is no such thing as a hazard within the field, there’s nothing you are able to do,” Arteta stated.

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“The ball could be very, very near your physique so I do not know how one can get away from it.

“However particularly if you are going to give that one, I believe the opposite one needs to be 100 per cent a penalty.”

Arsenal have been unable to discover a route again into the sport which additionally noticed Kai Havertz go off with blood pouring from his head following a nasty collision with Inter defender Yann Bisseck.

Arteta’s males have suffered a second defeat on the spin in addition to three defeats of their final six outings.

The Gunners should shortly shift focus to a bumper Premier League conflict away to Chelsea on Sunday.

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