A controversy over refereeing enforcement swept through again as Arsenal's heated battle with Liverpool raged on. In the 21st minute of the match, Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard defended against Mohamed Salah in the penalty area, and in a move that looked like a basketball court move, he actually took a shot and slapped the ball away, a scene reminiscent of the "figure on the basketball court. However, referee Kavinaghi did not award a penalty, but after the match the British Professional Referee Company argued that Odegaard just "lost his footing" and "involuntarily" touched the ball with his hand, calling it an accident and not an intentional handball.
However, this explanation was not shared by the majority. Slow-motion footage shows that Odegaard did not actually lose his balance and fall, but rather intentionally stretched out his foot and tapped the ball. How can this obvious behavior be called "accidental"? Obviously, a handball should have been awarded and a penalty kick should have been given. Many netizens mocked the Norwegian international as the "LeBron James" of the soccer world, who might be able to try his hand in the NBA.
