Arsenal assistant hits out at decision to award controversial penalty for Williamson handball in draw with Paris FC | OneFootball

Arsenal Women assistant coach Aaron D’Antino criticised the controversial handball decision against Leah Williamson in the 2-2 draw with Paris FC, insisting the Gunners should never have been penalised.

Williamson conceded a penalty after handling the ball while preparing to take a goal kick, with D’Antino adamant no advantage had been gained and that the restart had not properly been taken.

“Yes, we don’t put ourselves in that situation in the first place,” he said on the decision.

“If we’re looking at what we can control, it’s just passing the ball to Leah from what I remember seeing, the ball was still rolling and she was moving it to Leah for her to take the goal kick as we normally do.

“So maybe the learning in that is how we get the ball to Leah, so we don’t put ourselves in that situation.”

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D’Antino was clear, though, that Arsenal did not believe the incident should have resulted in a penalty.

“But yes, like I said, as far as we’re concerned, that’s not [a penalty],” he added.

“We haven’t taken a goal kick, there’s no advantage gained by Leah stopping the ball.

“But as an example of refereeing decisions, we just can’t put ourselves in that situation in the first place.”

Arsenal had found themselves two goals ahead in the Champions League clash through Alessia Russo and Georgia Stanway before Paris scored two late goals to rescue a point.

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