Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has admitted that Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof was "extremely lucky" not to give away a penalty during Sunday night's 1-0 defeat to West Ham United at the London Stadium.
Already leading by a goal to nil following Said Benrahma's opener, the Hammers were convinced that they should have been given the chance to double their advantage in first-half stoppage time when Benrahma's centre clearly struck the hand of Lindelof inside the penalty area.
The Swede, attempting to block the cross, moved his hand towards the ball, resulting in it hitting his elbow and then his right hand. The incident was ignored by on-pitch referee Peter Bankes and VAR Stuart Attwell decided against intervening and ordering Bankes to go across the pitchside monitor.
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Lindelof, without a doubt, had got away with one, meaning the Hammers would have had every right to be furious with the officials if they had not gone on to win the contest. And former Premier League official Gallagher, who officiated in the division between 1992 and 2007, felt it should have been a certain spot-kick.
"I think he is extremely lucky," Gallagher told Sky Sports. "I think he panics, moves his arm towards the ball and if a penalty had been given he wouldn't have been able to argue.
"The VAR has decided that the ball hit him on the hand and that his hand was in front of the body. It wasn't outstretched but what you would say is that when you throw your arm like that and move it towards the ball, if you get punished you can't argue."
Asked if he thought it should have been a penalty, Gallagher continued: "I do."
The PGMOL are understood to have analysed the decision and concluded that Lindelof did not make himself any bigger by having his hand in front of his body. Nevertheless, Gallagher still believes a penalty should have been awarded to David Moyes' team.
"The feedback from the PGMOL was that even though his arm was out, it hit his hand and his hand was in front of his body, so they were of the opinion that he had focused on that," Gallagher added. "Whether that is right or wrong I really don't know.
It is really tough, the handball rule, isn't it? That is what they felt, that it was in front of his body and it wasn't making his body bigger.
"I think because of the way he threw his arm and moved it towards the ball, that was what sold it to me as a penalty."
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