Marcos Senesi and Hugo Ekitike were involved in a very controversial incident in the first half of Liverpool against Bournemouth in the Premier League, which Mark Clattenburg has had his say on.
In the 13th minute of the Premier League opener, Mohamed Salah tried to knock the ball down to Liverpool’s new signing Hugo Ekitike, with Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi in the way.
The Argentine initially intercepted with his knee, but a closer angle showed a very dubious hand extending towards the ball from the Cherries’ centre-back.
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Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
The referee did not award anything in what could have been a potential red card decision. Was Anthony Taylor and his VAR team correct?
Exclusive: Mark Clattenburg on Marcos Senesi’s handball incident in Liverpool vs Bournemouth
Former Premier League referee Clattenburg exclusively tells TBR Football that Taylor was correct in his decision.
Clattenburg says: “This decision of the referee, Anthony Taylor, not to penalise Marcos Senesi for handball is a correct call.
“Sensei plays the ball with his leg and rebounds onto his arm, and under the laws of the game was correctly judged as an action of playing the ball onto his arm.
“This law was changed a couple of years ago when a player plays the ball onto his arm by foot or a part of his body, which I fully agree with.
“Also, we accepted last season, the Premier League referees have less tolerance than referees across Europe on handball, so I was not surprised that a handball was not given.”
Mark then went on to express that it’s difficult to judge an incident in “slow motion” as opposed to real time.
Liverpool v Bournemouth - Premier League
Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images
He continues: “Looking at the handball in more detail. I still stand by that the action of playing the ball, but he does make another movement of the hand, which makes a small touch of the ball with the fingers, which is only seen a slow motion.
“I don’t like football to be refereed in slow motion, and there is another argument that the attacker does not have control of the ball and is some distance from the goal, which comes into all the factors of the referees will dismiss a player for denying a goal scoring opportunity.”
Jamie Carragher disagrees with Mark Clattenburg
Former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports co-commentator Jamie Carragher didn’t exactly agree with Clattenburg.
The defender handled the ball,” said Carragher on Sky Sports commentary, unconvinced with Taylor’s decision.
Ekitike scored a goal in the first half to give the Reds the lead, so they won’t be too worried, but the game isn’t out of sight.
More to follow in Liverpool vs Bournemouth, right here on TBR Football.