Just 14 minutes into the Premier League’s opening match, controversy struck when Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi appeared to handle the ball under pressure from Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitike.
What looked like a blatant handball and possible red card was waved away by referee Anthony Taylor, while VAR chose not to intervene, a decision that has since ignited debate.
The flashpoint arose as Mohamed Salah attempted to play Ekitike through on goal. Senesi miscontrolled the ball, leaving the Liverpool forward with a chance to break free.
In an attempt to recover, the Argentine stretched out his arm and made contact with it before clearing moments later. Liverpool players, led by Cody Gakpo, immediately appealed, yet their protests were dismissed.
And the debate intensified on television as Sky Sports commentators highlighted the incident as one of the first major VAR calls of the season.
Peter Drury reported that the review suggested the ball had ricocheted awkwardly off Senesi’s body before striking his arm.
However, sitting alongside him, Jamie Carragher was unconvinced and insisted: “That’s handball. He knows exactly what he’s doing, it’s his reaction as a defender.”
Carragher went further in his criticism, accusing officials of misguiding the referee. “The information the referee got there was not correct,” the former Liverpool defender said.
He argued that VAR had once again failed to apply consistency in interpreting the handball law, leaving both fans and players frustrated.
The Premier League moved quickly to defend the decision, posting an explanation on its official Match Centre via X (formerly Twitter). The statement read:
The referee’s call of no red card to Senesi was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the action deemed not to be a clear handball offence nor denial of a goal scoring opportunity (DOGSO), due to the distance from goal.
That clarification has done little to silence critics, with many questioning why intent and reaction were overlooked.
Supporters pointed out that while the incident occurred far from goal, Ekitike was in space and could have advanced dangerously had play continued.
For Liverpool manager Arne Slot, the call was met with visible anger on the touchline as he demanded an explanation.
Nevertheless, Liverpool did not allow the setback to disrupt their rhythm.
On 37 minutes, new signing Ekitike seized the chance to punish Senesi directly, beating him with ease before calmly slotting past goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic for his first Premier League goal.
The strike gave the Reds the lead, and it added another layer of irony to the earlier flashpoint.
