VAR recommended that referee Farai Hallam review the incident, where Yerson Mosquera handled the ball in the penalty area, but the official decided no penalty should be awarded despite protests from City
Isaac Seelochan Senior Sports Journalist
16:08, 24 Jan 2026Updated 16:20, 24 Jan 2026
Yerson Mosquera of Wolverhampton Wanderers appears to handle the ball
View Image
Yerson Mosquera of Wolverhampton Wanderers appears to handle the ball under pressure from Omar Marmoush.(Image: (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images))
Manchester City supporters have been given an explanation as to why referee Farai Hallam chose not to award them a penalty in the first half against Wolves, despite what appeared to be a handball by Yerson Mosquera in his own box. The Cityzens were already leading 1-0 courtesy of Omar Marmoush's goal in the sixth minute when the Wolves defender seemed to handle the ball.
Marmoush was making a run into the Wolves box and attempted to outmanoeuvre his opponent by flicking the ball backwards, only for it to strike Mosquera's arm. The Etihad Stadium erupted with appeals for a penalty, prompting Hallam - who was officiating his first Premier League match - to consult VAR officials Darren England and Samuel Barrott.
After reviewing the incident, Hallam decided to uphold his initial decision of no penalty. The Premier League Match Centre has since provided an explanation for the referee's decision on social media.
Posting on X, the account said: "After VAR review, the referee retained the on-field decision of no penalty to Manchester City. Referee announcement: 'After review, the ball hits the arm of the Wolves player, which is in a natural position, so the on-field decision will remain.'"
The decision is unlikely to have much effect on the result, much to City's relief. Pep Guardiola's team doubled their lead just before the half-time break through January signing Antoine Semenyo.
Victory on Saturday will see City cut the gap to Premier League leaders Arsenal to just four points. The Gunners host Manchester United on Sunday afternoon (4:30pm) as they continue their bid for a first top-flight title since 2004.
And Guardiola has paid Arsenal the ultimate compliment by declaring them the "best team in the world" as his City team attempt to chase them down.
Speaking at Friday's pre-match press conference, he said: "[They are] the best team right now in the world. Look in the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and [EFL] Cup.
"Hopefully, we can be close and hope they give us one chance to get them."
This is a breaking sports story and is being constantly updated with the latest news, pictures and videos. Please refresh the page regularly.
You can also get email updates on the day’s biggest sports stories straight to your inbox by signing up for our sports newsletter.
Get all the very best sports news, pictures, opinion and video by following Daily Star every time you see our name.
Follow Daily Star on Google News - CLICK HERE and click the star
Follow Daily Star on Apple News - CLICK HERE available on Apple devices
Follow Daily Star on Flipboard - CLICK HERE and click follow
Article continues below
You can also sign up for Twitter alerts for breaking news by following @DailyStar_Sport and follow us @dailystar for all the latest updates.
Keep up-to-date with your must-see sports stories, features, videos and pictures throughout the day by following us on Facebook at Daily Star Football | London