- Taylor opted not to point to the spot when the ball struck Mateo Kovacic's arm
- Ex-Chelsea skipper Thiago Silva wasn't happy with a penalty not being given
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Former Chelsea captain Thiago Silva took a cheeky swipe at referee Anthony Taylor after he elected not to award a penalty for a handball on Mateo Kovacic.
Taylor was the man in the middle for Chelsea's Premier League opener as they welcomed Manchester City to Stamford Bridge.
However, the Blues got their season off to a losing start as goals from Kovacic and Erling Haaland secured a 2-0 win for the visitors.
But Kovacic could have given Chelsea a route back into the contest when the ball struck his arm inside City's box just minutes before he scored.
Luckily for him, Taylor opted not to point to the spot.
Malo Gusto kicked the ball into Kovacic's arm but no penalty was awarded by referee Taylor
Former Chelsea captain Thiago Silva shared his take on Kovacic's handball on social media
Taylor opted not to point to the spot for Kovacic's handball due to the recently changed laws
The Premier League's Match Centre account on X, which gives real-time explanations on VAR decisions, quickly explained why the Kovacic handball was not given.
'VAR checked a potential penalty for a handball by Kovacic,' the account said.
'He confirmed the referee's call of no penalty, deeming the ball came from close proximity.'
However, it didn't stop Chelsea fans and Silva from expressing their frustration over Kovacic escaping unpunished.
On an Instagram post of Kovacic's handball, Silva commented: 'Anthonyyyyyyyyyyyyyy'.
Although Silva and other Blues supporters may have been frustrated, Taylor was acting on the Premier League's new stance on the handball law.
Prior to the 2024-25 season, the Premier League revealed they would relax their stance on the handball law as players would no longer have to keep their arms down by their sides or behind their backs.
If a ball did hit their hand, it would be judged based on the movement of their body.
Silva wasn't the only one left perplexed as to why Taylor didn't give a penalty for the handball
Kovacic went on to score Manchester City's second goal just minutes after his handball
'We get a sense that we give too many handballs for actions that are quite normal and justifiable,' Premier League refereeing boss Howard Webb said.
'The guidance to officials this season is less is more. You will see fewer harsh handball penalties.'
Fans on social media also pointed out why the handball was not given.
@bankychummz posted: 'That Kovacic handball was a penalty last season... but not this season... based on the new handball rule that was revealed in June'.
@OlisaOsega added: 'A lot of you really need to understand the handball rule. You should educate yourselves. What exactly were you expecting Kovacic to do in that situation? Sigh'.
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