‘Got away with that’ – Premier League explain why Bournemouth star was not sent off despite clear handball

talkSPORT’s Dean Ashton was left utterly perplexed as to how Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi escaped a red card for handball. The Argentinian defender got a let-off in the first half of the Cherries’ season opener against Liverpool when he handled the ball near the halfway line. Sky SportsSenesi escaped any serious punishment for a handball[/caption] Senesi initially attempted to control the ball with his thigh but failed to do so. With the ball loose and Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike ready to pounce, Senesi appeared to poke the ball away with his fingertips. Had Senesi not intervened, Ekitike looked poised to nip the ball and streak through unchallenged towards goal. Although Reds boss Arne Slot, his players and the Anfield faithful all collectively protested, referee Anthony Taylor was unmoved and in fact awarded Bournemouth a free-kick for another indiscretion. The Premier League Match Centre soon issued an explanation as to why Taylor’s call was upheld. “The referee’s call of no red card to Senesi was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the action deemed not to be a clear handball offence nor denial of a goal scoring opportunity (DOGSO), due to the distance from goal,” the Premier League said. What was Dean Ashton’s verdict on the incident? But speaking on talkSPORT, one-time England international Ashton believed Senesi more than got away with one. “Well I think there was panic that sent in for Senesi,” Ashton said. “He’s under pressure from Ekitike. He does try and get a little claw to it. He just throws it out and I think it just glances his fingertips. “That could be enough. That’s all it could take, the fingertips, to take it away from Ekitike. I think it does. View Tweet: https://twitter.com/Carra23?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw “He has absolutely got away with that because Ekitike is probably through on goal.” Ashton quickly doubled down on his stance and was adamant Bournemouth should have gone down to ten men. “I’m sorry, but that feels so much like it’s the first game of the season and we don’t want to ruin it,” Ashton said. “We don’t want a man sent off so early in the first game of the season and therefore we haven’t made the right decision. “Senesi takes a swipe at the ball in his panic and the fingertips takes enough of a touch to take it away from Ekitike. He would have been through on goal. “It’s a red card and they’ve just not made the decision that they should have.” Ekitike opened his Reds account in style Although Ekitike may have been denied by Senesi, there was no stopping him from scoring the first goal of the 2025/26 Premier League season in the 37th minute. The Frenchman nut-megged Senesi to put himself in a one-on-one situation with Cherries goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, who he wrong-footed before coolly slotting home. Ekitike then held up his fingers to form a ’20’ in a classy tribute to Diogo Jota, who passed away in a car crash alongside his brother Andre Silva in July. Cody Gakpo doubled Liverpool’s advantage just four minutes into the second half, but the home side’s two-goal cushion went up in smoke in just 12 minutes thanks to a double from Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo. Semenyo’s double carried extra significance as he was the subject of a vile racial attack from a Liverpool supporter in the first half, which was quickly reported to referee Taylor. Sadly for the travelling Cherries supporters, Liverpool would find an extra gear late in the contest as substitute Federico Chiesa buried the winner in the 88th minute with a sweet volley inside the box. Mohamed Salah added the cherry on top in the 94th minute and became visibly emotional after full-time as the Kop chanted Jota’s name in poignant scenes.

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‘Got away with that’ – Premier League explain why Bournemouth star was not sent off despite clear handball

talkSPORT’s Dean Ashton was left utterly perplexed as to how Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi escaped a red card for handball.

The Argentinian defender got a let-off in the first half of the Cherries’ season opener against Liverpool when he handled the ball near the halfway line.

Senesi escaped any serious punishment for a handball[/caption]

Senesi initially attempted to control the ball with his thigh but failed to do so.

With the ball loose and Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike ready to pounce, Senesi appeared to poke the ball away with his fingertips.

Had Senesi not intervened, Ekitike looked poised to nip the ball and streak through unchallenged towards goal.

Although Reds boss Arne Slot, his players and the Anfield faithful all collectively protested, referee Anthony Taylor was unmoved and in fact awarded Bournemouth a free-kick for another indiscretion.

The Premier League Match Centre soon issued an explanation as to why Taylor’s call was upheld.

“The referee’s call of no red card to Senesi was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the action deemed not to be a clear handball offence nor denial of a goal scoring opportunity (DOGSO), due to the distance from goal,” the Premier League said.

What was Dean Ashton’s verdict on the incident?

But speaking on talkSPORT, one-time England international Ashton believed Senesi more than got away with one.

“Well I think there was panic that sent in for Senesi,” Ashton said.

“He’s under pressure from Ekitike. He does try and get a little claw to it. He just throws it out and I think it just glances his fingertips.

“That could be enough. That’s all it could take, the fingertips, to take it away from Ekitike. I think it does.

View Tweet: https://twitter.com/Carra23?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

“He has absolutely got away with that because Ekitike is probably through on goal.”

Ashton quickly doubled down on his stance and was adamant Bournemouth should have gone down to ten men.

“I’m sorry, but that feels so much like it’s the first game of the season and we don’t want to ruin it,” Ashton said.

“We don’t want a man sent off so early in the first game of the season and therefore we haven’t made the right decision.

“Senesi takes a swipe at the ball in his panic and the fingertips takes enough of a touch to take it away from Ekitike. He would have been through on goal.

“It’s a red card and they’ve just not made the decision that they should have.”

Ekitike opened his Reds account in style

Although Ekitike may have been denied by Senesi, there was no stopping him from scoring the first goal of the 2025/26 Premier League season in the 37th minute.

The Frenchman nut-megged Senesi to put himself in a one-on-one situation with Cherries goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, who he wrong-footed before coolly slotting home.

Ekitike then held up his fingers to form a ’20’ in a classy tribute to Diogo Jota, who passed away in a car crash alongside his brother Andre Silva in July.

Cody Gakpo doubled Liverpool’s advantage just four minutes into the second half, but the home side’s two-goal cushion went up in smoke in just 12 minutes thanks to a double from Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo.

Semenyo’s double carried extra significance as he was the subject of a vile racial attack from a Liverpool supporter in the first half, which was quickly reported to referee Taylor.

Sadly for the travelling Cherries supporters, Liverpool would find an extra gear late in the contest as substitute Federico Chiesa buried the winner in the 88th minute with a sweet volley inside the box.

Mohamed Salah added the cherry on top in the 94th minute and became visibly emotional after full-time as the Kop chanted Jota’s name in poignant scenes.