Former Premier League official Dermot Gallagher has claimed that the referee had "no choice" but to disallow Dominic Solanke's goal for Liverpool against West Bromwich Albion.
In the closing stages of the game at Anfield, Solanke thought that he had opened the scoring but replays showed that the ball struck both his chest and arm before hitting the back of the net.
The action appeared to be unintentional, but Gallagher has suggested that it becomes irrelevant in the case of scoring a goal.
Gallagher told Sky Sports News: "It did go off his arm and go in. There's no doubt about that because it changes direction. I think the problem for referees is the moral dilemma that it isn't acceptable to score with the hand or the arm. It just doesn't sit right.
"I use the term 'moral dilemma' because in law a handball has to be deliberate, but it doesn't sit right for it to go in off the hand and it doesn't look right. It's not permissible to score with the hand anyway in law, so you are covered in that department.
"It has gone in off his arm, whether he likes it or not. It has flicked up and it's quite clear that it goes in off his arm because it changes direction. I don't think the referee has got any other choice but to disallow the goal."
The game on Merseyside ended in a goalless draw, while Solanke remains without a goal for Liverpool in 13 appearances.
Darren Plant
