Handball rule draws widespread ire in penalty-dominated PL

Jose Mourinho h seen eugh.

fulltime whistle h yet to be blown but Tottenham manr stormed down tunnel — his he down and hands in his pockets — after seeing his team fall foul of a handball ruling that has quickly become biggest talking point of Premier League season.

It was fifth minute of stopp time and Tottenham was seeing out a 1-0 le against Newcastle when a ball was pumped into Spurs’ penalty area from a free kick. A heer by Newcastle substitute Andy Carroll struck outstretched arm of Eric Dier — as Tottenham defender was looking or way — and loud appeals from Newcastle players reverberated around empty stium.

Almost inevitably, a penalty was awarded after referee took opportunity to view incident on pitchside monitor.

Callum Wilson converted spot kick from Newcastle’s first shot on target all match, visitors were about to escape with a 1-1 draw, and a disgusted Mourinho didn’t want to hang around.

It was also a day to forget for Mourinho’s big coaching rival, Pep Guardiola, whose Manchester City team conceded three penalties — ne of m for handball, however — and lost 5-2 at home to Leicester.

Jamie Vardy scored a hat trick, with two of m coming from penalty spot. re have alrey been 20 penalties in just 25 games in Premier League this season, and re is likely to be many more as defenders struggle to apt to a newly opted interpretation of defensive handball rule.

Premier League has fallen in line with rest of European soccer this season to apply ruling in a stricter way rar simply than judging it on intent. Like Robin Koch, Victor Lindelof, Matt Doherty, Neal Maupay and Joel Ward before him this season, Dier was judged to have me his body unnaturally bigger by having his arm out when it was hit by ball, leaving referee little option but to award a penalty by letter of law.

Crystal Palace manr Roy Hodgson said newly opted rule was “killing game” after his team lost 2-1 to Everton on Saturday after conceding a handball penalty for winning goal. Mourinho chose t to criticize rule for fear of collecting a fine from Football Association, but his Newcastle counterpart h his say.

“It’s a total nsense,” Steve Bruce said. “We’ve got one today and we should be jumping for joy and through hoops, but I’d be devastated if it was against us.”

Players past and present spoke of ir opposition to rule interpretation, too.

“ FA needs to start asking mselves some serious questions,” tweeted Jan Vertonghen, former Tottenham defender who recently moved to Benfica. “Absolutely shocking decisions and y are hiding behind referees.”

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher urged game’s governing bodies to “sort this out.”

“This penalty nsense is ruining game,” Carragher tweeted.

Leicester became first team to score three penalties in a single Premier League game, according to league’s official statistics supplier, Opta.

MAN CITY IMPLODES

By defending deeply, limiting centrally and striking quickly on counterattack, Leicester h a game plan at Man City that worked a treat.

Leicester was helped by some poor defending by hosts, too.

Kyle Walker, Eric Garcia and Benjamin Mendy all conceded penalties with clumsy fouls, with Vardy converting two and Youri Tielemans or. Between his spot kicks, Vardy met a right-wing cross with a deft backheel flick, meaning last season's Golden Boot winner has w scored five goals alrey.

James Mdison scored Leicester's or goal, a 25-meter curler into top corner.

City, which scored through Riy Mahrez in fourth minute to take le and n late through Nathan Ake, didn't have a recognized striker because of injuries to Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus amid a slew of absentees.

It was Pep Guardiola's worst home defeat since taking charge of City in 2016, and punctured optimism that followed team's 3-1 win at Wolverhampton on Monday.

“ problem was we put extra pressure on ourselves to score second or third one when y just didn’t want to play,” Guardiola said. “y just wanted to defend and play on counterattack and in that position we have to be more calm.”

BOWEN DOUBLE

Wolves, who h one of tightest defenses last season, have w conceded at least three goals in successive games after getting beaten 4-0 by West Ham.

Jarrod Bowen scored twice at Olympic Stium, with Raul Jimenez's own-goal and a late heer by substitute Sebastien Haller helping West Ham register its first points of season.

BAMFORD STRIKES AGAIN

While Leeds was winning second-tier Championship last season, Patrick Bamford was being criticized for his poor conversion rate for champions.

In Premier League, it's alrey three goals in three games for striker.

Bamford kept up his record of scoring in every league game so far by heing an 88th-minute goal to earn Leeds a 1-0 win at Yorkshire rival Sheffield United.

United has yet to collect a point and hasn't scored a goal in first three games of its season for first time in its 131-year history.

Im credits: AP