Coach Sean Dyche says handball is a farce after Everton were awarded a penalty in their 3-1 Premier League defeat by Manchester City, Reuters reports.

Sean DychePhoto: Ryan Browne / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia

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Sean Dyche (Everton) does not understand the rule of henchmen: “I must be from another planet”

With the score 1:1 in the 64th minute, “City” realized a penalty intervention of defender Amadou Onanawho tried to block Nathan Ake’s shot in the penalty area, but the ball hit his hand.

Referee John Brooks awarded the penalty after speaking with the assistant referee. VAR did not intervene and Julián Álvarez scored City’s second before Bernardo Silva set up the final score in the 86th minute.

Handball decisions have become controversial since the introduction of VAR, and the interpretation of whether a hand is natural or not often becomes highly subjective.

“We can discuss penalties all day long. You have to check with the coaches via Zoom to say if it’s a draw, but that’s the way it goes. It has a completely natural position. He doesn’t try to stop the ball with his hand, he just dives to block the ball.

It’s a wonder in my world how that resulted in a penalty, but I must be from another planet. The decision was made by the assistant referee and he was further away than the center referee, so I don’t know who gives what.

All coaches argue about this. Someone has to take a stand at some point and let’s make it clear that it can’t be a penalty because he jumped in front of the shot and tried to block the ball.” – Sean Dyche for Amazon Prime, quoted by Agerpres.

Mark Clattenburg, a former important referee, however, claims that John Brooks made the right decision under the current rules.

“No one is saying that the decision is wrong, but we are saying that the law is written wrong, so it needs to be changed. Every week we see certain penalties and others we don’t.” Mark Clattenburg.

Premier League, standings

1. Liverpool 42 points

2. Arsenal 40

3. Aston Villa 39

4. Manchester City 37

5. Tottenham 36

6. Manchester United 31 etc.