The absurd reasoning given by the Premier League Match Center for why Chelsea wasn’t awarded a penalty for Kovacic’s handball
Referee Anthony Taylor made a questionable decision to deny Chelsea a penalty after Mateo Kovacic clearly handled the ball while the score was 0-1 in favor of Man City.
The Premier League Match Center provided an official explanation, but it is absurd. According to the Match Center, VAR “upheld the referee’s decision of no penalty, concluding the ball came from close proximity.”
However, the close proximity should not be a factor in this situation, as Kovacic’s hand position was clearly unnatural. This suggests that Chelsea was unfairly treated by the officials on the very first matchday.