United and Arsenal fans must be bloody raging.
Had Riyad Mahrez’s 77th minute penalty stood on Saturday, Manchester City would be joint with Liverpool on points with the pair heading into their final two games with a sweat on.
As it was, Bobby Madley ruled it out, Leicester lost 2-1 and Pep Guardiola looks to be plain-sailing into the Champions League now. Not that Jose Mourinho was going to do anything to put him under any kind of pressure.
At first glance, it seemed damned harsh as Mahrez slipped but still watched his spot kick loop into the net but the referee enforced the law to the letter and he was probably right to disallow it – even if everyone wasn’t too pleased with the decision (especially Leicester fans).
Given the wording of the law the referee is correct to disallow Mahrez's penalty but clearly not what the law was written for. #pedant
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) May 13, 2017
It was a series of wildly unfortunate events that saw the equaliser ruled out.
Gael Clichy falls on his arse and makes the worst tackle of all time.
But the foul didn’t even take place inside the box.
Mahrez slips as he takes the kick but it hits off his right and goes into the top left anyway.
You can’t kick it twice though, even Yaya Toure knows that.
Mahrez went for bottom right with his left – it ended up in top left with his right.
But that’s not legal.
Whilst the penalty kick is still active, Mahrez cannot do what he did.
“The player taking the penalty kick must kick the ball forward; backheeling is permitted provided the ball moves forward,” the official rule reads.
“The ball is in play when it is kicked and clearly moves.
“The kicker must not play the ball again until it has touched another player.
“The penalty kick is completed when the ball stops moving, goes out of play or the referee stops play for any infringement of the Laws.”
It’s harsh. But it’s the law. Black and white.
It’s not always enforced though as Antoine Griezmann and Real Madrid would tell you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtVvtrp2KuM
Good luck amending this graphic in future, Sky Sports.
