Ange Postecoglou has hailed Tottenham’s bravery at Arsenal, but expressed bemusement at the handball rule, joking “armless defenders” may be required in the future after Cristian Romero conceded a ludicrously harsh penalty in the 2-2 draw.
Spurs grabbed a share of the north London derby spoils after captain Son Heung-min struck either side of halftime.
But it might have been an even better result for the Australian, who’s still unbeaten in the Premier League, if Romero hadn’t been penalised for handball in the box in the 54th minute after he blocked Ben White’s shot from close proximity, allowing Bukayo Saka to roll home the resultant penalty.
Spurs did equalise immediately afterwards when Son netted his 150th Spurs goal but Postecoglou was still bemused afterwards about the award of the penalty, likening it to the equally unfair handball given against Wolves’ Joao Gomes at Luton on Saturday.
“I’ve got no idea about the handball rule,” he shrugged. “I really don’t. I saw the one yesterday at Wolves and it just seems if it hits your hand it’s a penalty and then other times if it hits your hand, it isn’t a penalty.
“I’ve got no idea. It is the one rule in the game I just don’t understand.
“Unless we start developing armless defenders, I don’t know how you are supposed to block things and be in a natural position.
“It is what it is. You kind of hope these things even themselves out over the course of a year but I don’t understand the rule. Any clarity would be good because I have got no idea.”
But Postecoglou was delighted by the performance of his side. “You can get a result here, a draw, and you can walk away feeling ‘you know what, we escaped’ – but I don’t have that feeling now.
“I think we went toe-to-toe with a top team and at times we really asserted our dominance on the game. At times, they did but that’s what happens when you face top sides.
“Even if we had lost today, and I don’t like losing, but for me to keep pushing these guys, they need to feel that out there that what we talk about and work on, they can see it come to fruition and when it does against a top team, being brave with our approach, that’s the key thing. I’m pleased.”
Meanwhile, Mauricio Pochettino listened to the boos ring out at Stamford Bridge after his Chelsea side slumped to another disappointing loss in the Premier League.
Chelsea’s 1-0 home loss to Aston Villa came as Liverpool took advantage of the draw to move second outright with their 3-1 win over West Ham while Newcastle ended the day by equalling their biggest Premier League win with an 8-0 rout of Sheffield United.
It was also a big day for Brighton, who came from behind to beat Bournemouth 3-1 thanks to two goals from substitute Kaoru Mitoma.
The high-flying Seagulls are now third on 15 points, one behind Liverpool, three adrift of Man City but a point clear of both Spurs and Arsenal.
Pochettino now has just one win and three losses to show for his first six games in charge of the ailing Blues, the latest defeat coming after Chelsea’s Malo Gusto was sent off in the 58th minute and Villa forward Ollie Watkins scored the winner in the 73rd.
Chelsea have now scored just five goals in six league games. “I am not frustrated, just disappointed,” Pochettino said. “The only thing we are missing is scoring. If we keep working hard we will change.”
Gusto was sent off for a challenge on Lucas Digne that was upgraded from a yellow card to a red after a VAR review, and Villa took advantage when Watkins made them pay.
At Bramall Lane, Sheffield United put on a poignant tribute before kickoff for Maddy Cusack, their women’s player who died in the week at the age of 27.
Newcastle went on to earn their biggest away league win ever and equalled an 8-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday in September 1999 when Bobby Robson was the manager.
The goals, remarkably, came from eight different players, with Sean Longstaff, Dan Burn, Sven Botman, Callum Wilson, Anthony Gordon, Miguel Almiron, Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak all finding the net.
At Anfield, it appeared that Darwin Nunez has finally settled in well as Liverpool’s No. 9.
Nunez began the season coming off the bench but looks undroppable after netting his fourth goal of the campaign to put Liverpool ahead 2-1 in the second half.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have won five successive Premier League games after drawing at Chelsea on the opening weekend, to now sit two points behind defending champion Manchester City.
Nunez netted with a 60th-minute volley after Jarrod Bowen’s diving header in the first half had cancelled out Mohamed Salah’s penalty.
Brighton took their goal tally to a league-best 18. The Seagulls trailed to Dominic Solanke’s first-half goal for Bournemouth but levelled through an own-goal by Milos Kerkez.
Mitoma then netted a double after coming on as a substitute to leave Bournemouth still winless.
Garry
Roar Rookie
I agree the rule SB as you state but it is “For the purposes of determining handball offences, the upper boundary of the arm is in line with the bottom of the armpit. Not every touch of a player’s hand/arm with the ball is an offence. It is an offence if a player: deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, for example moving the hand/arm towards the ball touches the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger. A player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player’s body movement for that specific situation. By having their hand/arm in such a position, the player takes a risk of their hand/arm being hit by the ball and being penalised scores in the opponents’ goal: directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm, even if accidental”
coolncold
Roar Rookie
It may be confusing that a hand ball should be given a penalty. If you are a referee think this way. 1) Firstly, whether or not deliberate, if the hand blocks the ball flying (going) into the goal, there should be a penalty given. 2) If the above does not appear to be the case, then the referee should think of deliberate or not deliberate hand ball. ************************ Here is an example of the number 2 scenario as described above. For example, a defender try to clear a ball by kicking the ball away from the small box in the restricted area. Unluckily, the ball makes contact with a hand of one of his/her teammates in the restricted area. Then, the referee should consideer "no penalty". It is because that the ball's path is going away from the goal/net. Whether or not the hand was there, the hand has not blocked the ball from going into the net as it is moving away. ************************* As for the this particular case (the second goal that Arsenal converting a penalty), it is a correct awarding of a penalty. It is evident to me watching the video that the hand (whether or not deliberate) block the ball's path flying into the goal. Thus, it is a correct penalty. ************************* I just wonder as experienced as Ange, he is confused. Maybe, he had not watched the replay during the interview.
chris1
Roar Rookie
FIL it's getting to be like hockey. Smash the ball into someone's foot and voila! Short corner. Whilst not as punitive as a pen in football, it's still very harsh.
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
As Tim Sherwood said after the game, the guy has lunged to block the shot, it's a matter of natural reaction to maintain balance. He did admit that it would have been a goal so agree with the outcome. The fact that David Ellery has removed all possibility of a decision based on intent vice an engineered situation (e.g attacking player deliberately targets defender's arm) is ludicrous. Players with no intent are being punished for natural actions. You could argue if that is bias towards the attacking team
Caractacus
Roar Rookie
The definition of handball changed a while ago but VAR has ramped it up, unless a player deliberately moves his hand to the ball it shouldn’t be given….having said that I thought this was a 50/50 decision. Spurs should be happier with a point, Arsenal did lack composure but we’re still the better team and gave away the softest of equalisers.
Megeng
Roar Rookie
Spurs weren't robbed, they did very well to earn a draw against the better team.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
I didn't hear those calls but am not surprised. Knights clubs seem to have a monopoly on that sort of behavior and I agree, they are not national material as a club until they address it.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
It looks like the most blatant handball to me, arm is outstretched it even looks to hit the actual hand.
Garry
Roar Rookie
City looked better than Sydney in the first half but wasted their chances, Sydney basically controlled the second half and were more effective but with plenty of room to improve. Because City arent gelling yet theyre a bit ordinary – definitely missing Leckie to drag them up – but still have plenty of skill on display. Theres 2 rules Im confused about – interfering with play during an offside and the handball rule. Plenty of weird decisions for both rules. I racall thinking a handball for a pen was given if it stopped a goal score op – now I have no Eye Deer
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
Morning All, haven't had a look at the game yet, but can someone please tell David Ellery that he's destroyed football with his handball rule. The man is the "bright ideas fairy" and that never spells any good coming about. It's ludicrous that an attacking player can deliberately kick the ball into the defender's arm or hand and in most cases it's awarded a penalty, regardless of intent or not from the defender. On another note, I watched both Australia Cup semi finals yesterday, and tell me if I am wrong, but City looked ordinary. Brisbane are a completely different side from last year and good luck to them. What didn't impress me where the chants from the Melbourne Knights supporters. "You are f.....ing A-League, you are f....ing s@#t". For me, there is ingrained culture at the Knights and their reciprocating Sydney club, and at this point there should be no consideration of their inclusion into any 2nd Div that is formed until tangible evidence of reform can be substantiated.