Most people turned to congratulate Chelsea for the fascinating game, but indeed Manchester City has a few advantages over key decisions. The most apparent controversies were the soft penalty awarded again, and no foul for the handball. Sadly if the standard of refereeing is normal, Chelsea should deserve a win.
They absolutely could justify it as stopping a goal scoring opportunity
As much as it pains me to defend Man City I can’t agree with that, it was blocking a clearance from his own keeper, if anything a handball in that situation is more likely to create a chance for the opposition than to block it which it may well have done if Sterling hadn’t stopped to appeal for the hand ball and had instead put pressure on Gvardiol who had the ball in a much more dangerous position than he would have been if the ball hadn’t been obstructed.
Eh there’s way too much uncertainty around where the ball would have gone if Walker didn’t block it, if there was only Chelsea players around and Edersons pass was obviously going to fall to us it should be a red since no goalkeeper in goal = goalscoring chance if that fall to us, but it’s too unclear where the ball was going to go to say Walker prevented a goalscoring opportunity. Looked like Ederson was trying to pass to a defender on the touchline and that’s where the pass was headed
There’s no reason for Walker to handball it deliberately, nothing to be gained from intercepting his own keepers clearance.
It was a clearance. It was headed 60 meters down the field. It certainly wasn’t going to create an immediate goal scoring opportunity.
It wasn’t awarded a handball bc of the exemption for a ball kicked by a teammate. The end.
No they couldn’t in any way.