Martin Keown rages at Arsenal handball as Mikel Arteta fumes at referee missing ‘punch to head’ in Inter Milan defeat
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta vented his fury after the 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan – declaring it was ‘very difficult to accept’. Referee Istvan Kovacs called a handball against Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino in the Champions League clash at the San Siro despite his arm being close to his body and having little to no time to react. Merino copped a penalty for this handball after the ball rebounded off his knee and onto his arm Inter midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu made no mistake from the resulting spot kick in the third minute of first-half stoppage time to seal a 1-0 win for the Serie A side. Earlier in the first half, Arsenal thought they should have had a penalty of their own when Yann Sommer delivered an unintentional punch to Merino’s head when trying to clear a cross. Asked for his reaction to the hosts’ penalty, Arteta said: “I don’t understand. There is no danger at all. You cannot react because the ball is very close. “We were told at the start of the season that wasn’t a penalty. That was clear. Today it was a different story. But OK. They decide that is a penalty. “But if that is a penalty then the one on Mikel Merino where he punches him in the head has to be a penalty, 1,000 per cent. These are the margins in this game and it’s very, very difficult to accept. “I am extremely frustrated because these are two decisions that marked the course of the game. Unfortunately there is nothing we can do. We have to accept it and move on.” Yann Sommer clattered into Merino but escaped giving away a penaltyAFP Arsenal legend Martin Keown was just as unhappy as Arteta with the Inter penalty decision. “Is his arm in an unnatural position? It certainly isn’t,” Keown said . “I don’t know who determines that… it’s ruining our game.” Fellow TNT Sports commentator Ally McCoist was in agreement, and says a major rule change to handball laws is required. “The law has to change and the word ‘deliberate’ has to come back into it,” McCoist said. “That is not deliberate.” https://x.com/footballontnt/status/1854290606308147494 It’s unlikely a penalty would’ve been awarded if this happened in a Premier League game as new handball laws were introduced before the start of this season. In the Premier League, referees consider mitigating factors when deciding whether to penalise a handball. These include the player’s proximity to the ball, whether the player’s arm is used to support their body while falling and whether the player deflects or plays the ball onto their own arms. Arsenal were unable to find a route back into the game after the spot-kick. It is second defeat on the spin for Artete’s side as well as three defeats in their last six outings. The Gunners must now quickly shift focus to a bumper Premier League clash away to Chelsea on Sunday. Arteta, though, wasn’t too disheartened by the defeat to Inter, saying: “This is the way I want to see my team. Of all the big games we have played in Europe, this is by far the best one that we have played in the last few years. “If we play the way we played here we have a good chance to win against Chelsea. I told them I’m proud of them. “I haven’t seen them play in Europe in the manner they have today. And we are very disappointed because we didn’t get what we wanted out of the game that’s for sure.” It was a bruising night for the GunnersGetty Arsenal were hard done by just before half time but didn’t ask enough questions of their Italian opponentsAFP Declan Rice was sorely missed in the San Siro – absent after he picked up a foot injury against Newcastle. And while captain Martin Odegaard ended his two-month absence with a late cameo, Kai Havertz was involved in a clash of heads with Yann Bisseck and is a doubt for Arsenal’s trip to Stamford Bridge. “Kai has a big cut,” said Arteta. “He had to come off because he needed some stitches. Hopefully he will be OK for the weekend.”
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta vented his fury after the 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan – declaring it was ‘very difficult to accept’.
Referee Istvan Kovacs called a handball against Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino in the Champions League clash at the San Siro despite his arm being close to his body and having little to no time to react.
Inter midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu made no mistake from the resulting spot kick in the third minute of first-half stoppage time to seal a 1-0 win for the Serie A side.
Earlier in the first half, Arsenal thought they should have had a penalty of their own when Yann Sommer delivered an unintentional punch to Merino’s head when trying to clear a cross.
Asked for his reaction to the hosts’ penalty, Arteta said: “I don’t understand. There is no danger at all. You cannot react because the ball is very close.
“We were told at the start of the season that wasn’t a penalty. That was clear. Today it was a different story. But OK. They decide that is a penalty.
“But if that is a penalty then the one on Mikel Merino where he punches him in the head has to be a penalty, 1,000 per cent. These are the margins in this game and it’s very, very difficult to accept.
“I am extremely frustrated because these are two decisions that marked the course of the game. Unfortunately there is nothing we can do. We have to accept it and move on.”
Arsenal legend Martin Keown was just as unhappy as Arteta with the Inter penalty decision.
“Is his arm in an unnatural position? It certainly isn’t,” Keown said .
“I don’t know who determines that… it’s ruining our game.”
Fellow TNT Sports commentator Ally McCoist was in agreement, and says a major rule change to handball laws is required.
“The law has to change and the word ‘deliberate’ has to come back into it,” McCoist said. “That is not deliberate.” https://x.com/footballontnt/status/1854290606308147494
It’s unlikely a penalty would’ve been awarded if this happened in a Premier League game as new handball laws were introduced before the start of this season.
In the Premier League, referees consider mitigating factors when deciding whether to penalise a handball.
These include the player’s proximity to the ball, whether the player’s arm is used to support their body while falling and whether the player deflects or plays the ball onto their own arms.
Arsenal were unable to find a route back into the game after the spot-kick.
It is second defeat on the spin for Artete’s side as well as three defeats in their last six outings.
The Gunners must now quickly shift focus to a bumper Premier League clash away to Chelsea on Sunday.
Arteta, though, wasn’t too disheartened by the defeat to Inter, saying: “This is the way I want to see my team. Of all the big games we have played in Europe, this is by far the best one that we have played in the last few years.
“If we play the way we played here we have a good chance to win against Chelsea. I told them I’m proud of them.
“I haven’t seen them play in Europe in the manner they have today. And we are very disappointed because we didn’t get what we wanted out of the game that’s for sure.”
Declan Rice was sorely missed in the San Siro – absent after he picked up a foot injury against Newcastle.
And while captain Martin Odegaard ended his two-month absence with a late cameo, Kai Havertz was involved in a clash of heads with Yann Bisseck and is a doubt for Arsenal’s trip to Stamford Bridge.
“Kai has a big cut,” said Arteta. “He had to come off because he needed some stitches. Hopefully he will be OK for the weekend.”
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