Howard Webb has admitted Liverpool should have been awarded a penalty when Arsenal's Martin Odegaard handled

PGMOL chief Howard Webb has admitted Liverpool should have been awarded a penalty when Arsenal's Martin Odegaard handled the ball

The Reds missed the chance to move top of the Premier League in time for Christmas as they were held to a 1-1 draw

Prior to Salah arrowing an effort past David Raya to draw his side level, Liverpool were adamant they should have been awarded a penalty

Video Assistant Referee official David Coote, situated at Stockley Park, did not recommend that Kavanagh make his own assessment of the incident on the pitch-side monitor

Webb has now acknowledged that the VAR made the incorrect call on the decision and claimed Odegaard in fact obtained a "huge advantage" by bringing his arm back to the ball after initially slipping.

Webb said:

"So do I [think it's a penalty]. The referee on the field recognized that Odegaard had slipped and saw his arm go towards the ground.

"We talk about 'supporting arms'. If somebody falls, breaks their fall with the arm, it's all very natural and a pretty well-established concept. In this situation. though, there's an important difference to a normal play that's falling.

"This is not just Odegaard accidentally falling onto the ball. He does slip, his arm does go out, but he actually pulls his arm back in towards his body, which is when the ball makes contact with the arm

"The VAR looked at that aspect. He felt it was a case of Odegaard trying to make himself actually smaller by bringing the arm back towards the body. That is the element that's important here.

"Whether it's instinctive or deliberate, he gets a huge advantage by bringing the arm back towards the ball.

"All the feedback we got afterwards was very clear. The game expects a penalty in this situation. I would agree."