Jake Livermore's Handball Wasn’t Deliberate - Hull City Manager Says

 

Hull interim manager Mike Phelan questioned whether Jake Livermore should have been sent off for deliberate handball in the 4-1 defeat to Arsenal. With Hull trailing 1-0 late in the first half, Livermore was shown a straight red card for blocking a goal-bound shot with his arm.

Phelan said “It was handball, but I don't think it was a deliberate handball. I don't know quite what the rule is whether it should be red or yellow but it hit him on the arm. His arm did not move out wide to stop the ball, it hit him. But that's the way it goes, we got a penalty which got us back in the game. At certain points we were quite alive, It was quite even at the sending off even if they had a lot of the ball. After the sending off you are playing against one of the worst teams to play against with 10 men, but we got a bit of momentum and stifled them a little bit. At 2-1 I thought if we can carry on we might get a free-kick or corner and it might change, but to give the goal away a few minutes after we scored killed our momentum a bit. Then our lads tried to have a go but quality comes out in the end and Arsenal deserved the victory.”

The defeat is only Hull's second under Phelan, who is mulling over an offer to be permanent manager.