Rodgers calls for clarity on ‘clearest handball’

Leicester City are demanding a response from the Professional Game Match Officials Limited over the handball controversy in their Carabao Cup defeat.

Manager Brendan Rodgers remains frustrated over the “clearest handball” in the agonising 2-1 defeat by Aston Villa in Tuesday night’s semi-final second leg, and is seeking an explanation from referees’ chief Mike Riley.

The Villa midfielder Marvelous

Nakamba appeared to handle James Maddison’s shot in the first half, but referee Mike Dean did not award a penalty and was not overruled by video assistant referee Lee Mason.

It is understood that Leicester included their complaint in Dean’s report, with Maddison criticising Mason in a post on his Twitter account on Wednesday.

He wrote: “Not making any excuses, but how a Premier League referee watching this from multiple angles several times comes to the conclusion that this isn’t a penalty baffles me.”

Leicester’s exasperation has been compounded by the fact that Mason will be the referee for their match against Chelsea tomorrow.

Rodgers said: “It was probably arguably the clearest handball you’ll see, I can’t see why it wouldn’t have been a penalty. We’ll definitely ask the question as it’s good to have the clarity so everyone is clear – if that wasn’t a handball then it’s nice to know why.

“If the referee didn’t quite see it in the game, that’s why the VAR is there, so it would be good to get that clarity.”