Tennis superstar Andy Murray weighs in on contentious William Saliba decision in Arsenal's draw with Chelsea

Former World No. 1 tennis singles player Andy Murray has offered his take on the contentious penalty call involving Arsenal's William Saliba against Chelsea on Saturday (October 21).

In a pulsating Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge, the Blues went in front after 15 minutes. Cody Palmer gave Mauricio Pochettino's men the lead from the spot after VAR adjudged Saliba to have handled Mykhailo Mudryk's goalbound header.

Referee Craig Kavanagh awarded the penalty after a visit to the VAR pitchside monitor. He deemed that the Gunners defender made his body 'unnaturally bigger' while defending to keep out Mudryk's header. As a result, Saliba's handball was adjudged to be a penalty offence.

The current wording of a handball offence in terms of unnatural body movement says that it's a penalty if a defending player:

"Touches the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger"

Kavanagh's decision infuriated the Gunners players, but the call stood. Murray has taken side with Arsenal, saying that Saliba was in the same natural jumping position as Mudryk when the ball had hit the Frenchman's arm, tweeting:

"If you watch a replay and just look at Mudryk arms when he jumps, they make exactly the same movement as Saliba… both totally natural jumping positions"

Mudryk doubled the Blues' lead early in the second period before Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard scored in the final 13 minutes to restore parity for the Gunners.

---

"We accepted that we have to do much better" - Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta after Chelsea draw

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta

Arsenal were close to losing their first league game of the season. However, Mikel Arteta's side fought back from two goals down in the last 13 minutes to force a share of the spoils.

In a rather lopsided first half at Stamford Bridge, the Blues ran the Gunners ravaged and were the better side. The penalty call may have been contentious, but Mauricio Pochettino's side deservedly took the lead.

However, the Gunners improved after the break, and Arteta expressed satisfaction with his team's second-half performance. The Spaniard said in his post-game press conference (as per the Gunners' website):

"I have no doubt about that, I could see at half-time that there was a knife between our teeth, and we accepted that we have to do much better. The game state was there for us and we had that belief and even when we conceded the goal and the way we conceded, we continued to be like this, and I loved that about the team."

Arsenal next travel to Sevilla in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.