John Terry ‘would have been fuming’ with controversial decision in Chelsea vs Arsenal

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Chelsea icon John Terry ‘would have been fuming’ with the decision by referee Chris Kavanagh and VAR Jarred Gillett to give a penalty against Arsenal star William Saliba.

Controversy ensued at Stamford Bridge this Saturday as Chelsea hosted Arsenal coming out of the international break. Kavanagh and Gillett conferred and decided to give the Blues the penalty for handball against Saliba. But Terry did not agree with the officials’ decision at all.

Two minutes and 25 seconds passed from the ball striking Saliba on the arm and Kavanagh pointing to the spot. The referee and VAR Gillett decided that the 22-year-old’s arm was in an unnatural position when the ball struck his forearm whilst he challenged for the header.

John Terry issues his verdict on Chelsea’s penalty for handball by Arsenal’s William Saliba

The ball clearly hit Saliba in the arm as he challenged Mykhailo Mudryk in the air. Neither player won the ball with it passing through to hit the centre-half’s outstretched arm. But it could be argued that the Arsenal enforcer’s arm was in a natural position as he challenged.

Terry, for one, felt Kavanagh and Gillett reached the wrong decision by awarding Chelsea a penalty for handball by Saliba against Arsenal. The Blues legend was happy his former side won the spot-kick. But they would have enraged the England icon had it been against him.

“Delighted we got the penalty but I don’t agree with the rules on this,” he noted on X. “Very harsh on defenders. I would have been fuming if that was given against me back in the day.”

Gary Lineker questions the handball rule after the controversy at Stamford Bridge

Another England legend in Gary Lineker also questioned Kavanagh and VAR Gillett’s decision to gift Chelsea the penalty for handball against Arsenal star Saliba. He also took to the social media platform once known as Twitter and brought into question the current handball rule.

“The handball law is utterly ludicrous,” Lineker wrote on X.

Terry and Lineker’s statements show Kavanagh and VAR Gillett’s decision to give Chelsea a penalty for handball against Saliba rightly enraged Arsenal. The 10-cap France star showed no desire to use his arm to deny a goalscoring opportunity. Mudryk also missed his header.

David Raya would likely have collected possession whether the ball hit Saliba’s arm or not. The official’s controversial decision also calls into question the current handball law as the Bondy-born ace’s arm was arguably in a natural position from leaning forward for a header.