We are back after the death of Queen Elizabeth forced an impromptu break and meant that Gameweek 7 of the Premier League was not played therefore we have jumped straight to Gameweek 8. Unfortunately, logistics surrounding the funeral meant that only 7 games were played over the weekend. These games were not without controversy, and we will dive into them.
The incident: Kieran Trippier’s cross hits Jefferson Lerma’s arm and after a VAR check a penalty is given
The ball clearly hits Lerma’s arm, and his arm is creating a larger barrier so on that count, it is a simple decision but there are two issues that muddy the waters. Firstly, the ball hits Lerma’s knee before deflecting onto his arm. In addition, he is quite close to the ball when it is crossed meaning there is very little distance between him and the ball.
Though not a rule but by convention, referees tend not to give penalties when the ball hits another body part before the arm. The reason is that the trajectory of the ball is changed so close to the arm. So referees tend to see them as almost impossible to avoid.
These two factors make the decision a bit more questionable but since Lerma’s arm is so close to his knee the decision is understandable however the Bournemouth protests are also understandable as it cost them 2 points.
The incident: Davinson Sanchez brings down James Justin on the line, and a penalty is awarded. Tielemans has his penalty saved but Hugo Lloris was off his line so the penalty is retaken.
James Justin was fouled on the line but there was some confusion as it was on the line.
Law 1 is very clear stating:
“Measurements are from the outside of the lines as the lines are part of the area they enclose.”
This means that there can never be a free kick on the line because a foul on the line is a penalty cause the line is part of the area.
The next part of this is the penalty save, there are certain situations where a penalty would be retaken, and they are outlined below.
In this case, Lloris was off his line so his save was voided, and the penalty was retaken. The goalkeeper must keep a foot on the line as the penalty is taken.
The incident: Nathan Collins tries to get the ball and puts his studs in Jack Grealish’s thigh
This is probably the clearest red card you will see this season. Collins’ challenge meets every threshold for a red card. It is a dangerous tackle it is nowhere near the ball and uses excessive force. It is a very dangerous play and of course he was shown a red card. When compared to other challenges where a red was suggested there was some chance of getting the ball but here Collins completely misses the mark