During a recent Celtic’s 3-1 win over Motherwell, a moment of contention arose that could have potentially altered the course of the game, with the score level at 1-1 at the time of the incident.
As Celtic pressed forward, an incident involving Yang driving into the box and unleashing a shot that struck the arm of Davor Zdravkovski sparked debate.
Chris Sutton expressed his surprise at the match officials’ decision not to review the incident more thoroughly. “I’m really surprised they haven’t sent Willie Collum to the monitor there,” Sutton remarked live on Sky Sports. He pointed out that Zdravkovski’s arm appeared to be “outside of his silhouette,” a key factor in penalty decisions relating to handball incidents under current football laws.
The incident underwent a quick VAR check, but Gavin Duncan, the VAR official, did not see enough evidence to instruct referee Willie Collum to review the play on the pitchside monitor. This decision left many wondering if Celtic had been denied a clear opportunity to gain an advantage.
Have a look at the in incident here:
🗣️ “I’m really surprised they haven’t sent Willie Collum to the monitor there.”
Celtic wanted a penalty for this incident. Did the officials get it right? Watch Motherwell v Celtic live on @SkyFootball 📺 pic.twitter.com/rWuXNAuEzd
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) February 25, 2024
However, the decision not to award a penalty might stand on firmer ground than initially thought. The considerations of the speed of the ball and the proximity of Zdravkovski to Yang at the moment of the shot are crucial.
