West Ham: Darren Bent and Andy Goldstein clash over ‘ridiculous’ incident in draw v Freiburg
West Ham United didn’t deserve a penalty in the closing exchanges of their Europa League showdown with Freiburg, according to Darren Bent.
David Moyes’ side lost 1-0 in the first leg of their round of 16 clash in Germany on Thursday (7 March) and were denied a late penalty when Noah Weisshaupt appeared to handle the ball in the box in injury time.
While Bent thought it would have been soft to have awarded a penalty kick, he clashed with Andy Goldstein live on air when discussing the “ridiculous” handball rule.
Speaking on talkSPORT on Friday (8 March, 16:22) he said: “I don’t think it was (a penalty) and the Rangers one was even worse. A cross comes in, there’s somebody behind him, there’s contact, he’s moving his body.
“Oh my goodness, it’s the most ridiculous rule ever.”
Goldstein responded by saying: “You and I just looked at the Rangers one again in the break, his arm is out. I’m not using the word unnatural position, his arm is out though. That’s the stupid rule that they’ve got, if it’s not in the silhouette of the body it’s a penalty.”
Did West Ham United deserve a penalty in their defeat to Freiburg?
It seems strange that a former footballer can say that the Hammers didn’t deserve a penalty when the ball quite clearly struck Weisshaupt’s arm in the penalty area, but that speaks volumes about how ridiculous the handball rule is.
The Freiburg man clearly struck the ball with his arm in the penalty area, but because his arm was deemed to be in a natural position it goes unpunished when completely different decisions will be made in this week’s Premier League matches.
Hopefully, the Hammers won’t be made to rue that missed opportunity and will have enough to bounce back in the second leg at the London Stadium, otherwise, this controversial decision will only become more contentious.
Moyes’ side simply have to improve their performances going forward, otherwise, the pressure will continue to mount on the Scotsman from supporters, especially if West Ham crash out of Europe with a whimper.
In other West Ham news, Paul Merson has predicted the result of the Hammers’ clash with Burnley in a new Moyes sack verdict
For more West Ham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.