Chris Richards has criticised Mohamed Salah after a controversial handball incident during Crystal Palace’s 2-1 victory over Liverpool, in which the Egyptian forward escaped punishment late in the second half.
Palace were on top for much of the match after Ismaila Sarr gave them an early lead. However, Liverpool equalised three minutes before stoppage time when Federico Chiesa scored from close range.
In the build-up to that goal, Salah appeared to handle the ball as it headed into the penalty area. His arm was raised when Ryan Gravenberch delivered a cross, and replays suggested the ball may have brushed his fingertips.
Despite an extended VAR review, the goal stood, giving Liverpool hope of snatching a point. That hope was short-lived, though, as Eddie Nketiah scored a dramatic late winner for Palace.
Taking to X, Richards voiced his frustration by reposting an image of Salah seemingly making contact with the ball and wrote, “I knew I wasn’t seeing things.”
The Premier League Match Centre later clarified the decision, explaining that there wasn’t sufficient evidence to overturn the referee’s initial call. They stated via X:
> “The referee’s decision to award the goal was reviewed and confirmed by VAR, as there was no conclusive proof that Salah handled the ball in the lead-up.”
The win extended Palace’s unbeaten run in all competitions to 18 matches and preserved their strong Premier League start, with three wins and three draws from six games. Oliver Glasner’s side remain the only unbeaten team in the league and boast the joint second-best defensive record, having conceded just three goals.
This is only the fifth time in the club’s history that Palace have avoided defeat in their first six league matches, last achieving the feat in the 1990/91 season.
For Liverpool, the loss ended their perfect start after five consecutive league victories and left manager Arne Slot with plenty to reflect on, especially as Palace could have scored more than twice.
Up next, Palace will face Dynamo Kyiv in the Conference League on Thursday, while Liverpool travel to Turkey for a Champions League clash against Galatasaray on Tuesday.
Leave a Reply