Both Sunderland and Arsenal were in desperate need of points at the Stadium of Light this afternoon and supporters of both clubs feel they could have had a first half penalty.
Sunderland’s claim came first, when Jermain Defoe lashed at Hector Bellerin’s poor clearance and Per Mertesacker appeared to parry the ball away with his raised arms. In the screenshot below, it looks like the German had started playing basketball instead.
It was a split-second moment but should Sunderland've been awarded a penalty for Mertesacker's handball? #CitiSports pic.twitter.com/elGHepoW0V
— CITI FM 97.3 (@Citi973) April 24, 2016
Nothing was awarded to the home side, and the decision didn’t go down too well on the internet.
that's a handball on Per Mertesacker and that's a penalty, all day everyday.
— Adam (@AdamJoseph____) April 24, 2016
https://twitter.com/angrygav/status/724231985137344513
I've given up the whole handball rule. If that's not a handball on Mertesacker, then what is?
— Jonas Adnan Giæver (@CheGiaevara) April 24, 2016
https://twitter.com/dreamteamfc/status/724233188046938112
At the other end of the pitch, an Iwobi shot was blocked by Yedlin, the Sunderland full back on loan from Tottenham. It looked very much like the defender had saved the ball with his arm, but again, Mike Dead didn’t blink. The Arsenal fans thought the referee had chosen to level up the non-decision giving.
https://twitter.com/chibsah_/status/724234905568350209
Yedlin's handball was more of a penalty than Mertesacker's though.
— Martin Hawkins (@dartistik) April 24, 2016
Mertasacker's Handball shout: ball passes him as he spins and his arm blocks ball..
Yedlin's: Laying on floor, arm is up in the air..
— Tyler Arthur ⚾️ (@TylerJArthur) April 24, 2016
@hughwizzy Don't understand the handball rule, both mertesaker and yedlin have made saves on those goal bound shots. Both should be pens.
— Jj (@Chris__AFC) April 24, 2016
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