Williamson handball penalty correct under IFAB rules — SkimNews
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- Arsenal drew 2-2 with Paris FC in the Women's Champions League on Wednesday after Leah Williamson stopped a short goal-kick with her hand — believing it hadn't been taken — conceding a penalty converted by Maeline Mendy
- IFAB Law 16 and Law 12 confirm the penalty was correctly awarded: once a defending player kicks a stationary ball in the goal area, the goal-kick is considered taken, and any subsequent deliberate handball is an offense
- The draw leaves Arsenal fourth in the Champions League table after two games; a victory would have put them second
- Tyrone Mings committed an identical error for Aston Villa against Club Brugge in November 2024, conceding a Hans Vanaken penalty in a 1-0 defeat — described as 'the biggest mistake I witnessed in my career' by then-Villa boss Unai Emery
- Gabriel made the same mistake for Arsenal against Bayern Munich earlier in 2024, but was allowed to retake the goal-kick — a non-decision Thomas Tuchel (now England head coach) called a 'kid's mistake'
- Arsenal assistant coach Aaron D'Antino framed the incident as a learning experience about how goalkeeper Misa Rodriguez should pass the ball to Williamson, while former Arsenal defender Jen Beattie said referee Iuliana Demetrescu got the call wrong despite the correct application of the laws
Why it matters: Arsenal dropped two points in their Champions League campaign from a correctly-awarded but contextually harsh handball penalty against captain Leah Williamson. The contrast with Gabriel's identical 2024 error — which was allowed to be retaken — exposes clear inconsistency in how match officials have applied the same rule, turning a routine procedural misunderstanding into a decisive result.
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