Howard Webb, the chief of refereeing, has acknowledged that VAR made a mistake in not penalizing Martin Odegaard's handball against Liverpool.

The decision was controversial and sparked backlash on social media as many fans felt it should have been a penalty for Liverpool.

Referee Chris Kavanagh and VAR assistant Lee Betts were involved in the decisionmaking process during the game.

In an interview with "Match Officials: Mic'd Up", PGMOL Chief Refereeing Officer Howard Webb admitted that Video Assistant Referee (VAR) was wrong not to punish Martin Odegaard's handball against Liverpool. This comes after referee Chris Kavanagh decided not to award a penalty to Liverpool during their 11 draw against Arsenal before Christmas. Gunners captain Odegaard appeared to palm the ball out of harm's way when Mohamed Salah took an awkward touch towards David Raya's goal in the 19th minute. Despite VAR reviewing the incident, they confirmed the onfield decision as correct.

Webb explained that while Odegaard did slip and his arm went out, he then pulled his arm back towards his body which resulted in contact with the ball. He emphasized that this action gave Odegaard a huge advantage by making himself smaller and ultimately preventing what could have been considered deliberate handball.

During this crucial point in the game where Arsenal led 10, both Kavanagh and Betts agreed that there was no need for further review based on live footage despite immediate backlash from fans who believed it should have been awarded as a penalty for Liverpool.

The controversy surrounding this decision highlights ongoing issues with VAR implementation within football matches, especially concerning highstakes games like Premier League fixtures involving top teams such as Arsenal and Liverpool.