LONDON, SUMATERAEKSPRES.ID - In the midst of the cheers and roars of the football battle between Liverpool and Arsenal, Anfield bore witness to a silent decision by the referee that shook the stage of the game.

In the early hours of today, in a fierce contest, the referee chose to turn a blind eye to the potential handsball committed by Martin Odegaard.

This epic duel began with a high tempo, where both teams applied pressure from the first half. Arsenal, swiftly and mercilessly, managed to take the lead.

Just five minutes after the opening whistle, The Gunners created magic through the brilliant action of Gabriel Magalhaes, who successfully breached the home team's goal.

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However, the peak of the drama came in the 19th minute when Liverpool should have been awarded a penalty. Ironically, the referee's decision sparked controversy that permeated throughout the stadium.

At that moment, Liverpool was awarded a free-kick inside the penalty box, and the hope of equalizing through a penalty kick was wide open.

The powerful kick by Trent Alexander-Arnold seemed to be on target, but everything changed when the ball struck Gabriel Jesus.

The loose ball became a scramble between Mohamed Salah and Martin Odegaard. A stunning turn of events occurred when Odegaard, in his attempt to gain possession of the ball, suddenly slipped. Ironically, his hand could not avoid contact with the ball.

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Liverpool players shouted for a penalty, but the referee remained unmoved. A controversial decision that was later explained by PGMOL through Sky Sports.

They claimed that in that slipping moment, Odegaard attempted to pull his hand towards his body, trying to return his hand to a normal position.

According to the handsball rule, a penalty is only awarded if the body position extends beyond the normal position. Therefore, Odegaard was deemed to have unintentionally committed a handsball while trying to return his hand to its original position.

This explanation has become the center of attention, sparking debates among football fans divided between justice and the controversial interpretation of the rules.(*)