OPINION: Arteta is right to say the Ben White handball wouldn’t be overturned in the PL, here’s why

"In the Premier League, it’s not a penalty, but here I have to accept that this is handball," Arteta said after full-time.

Having witnessed match referee Danny Makkelie head over to the pitchside VAR monitor to award the Gunners' opponents a penalty for an alleged Ben White handball, that was tenuous as best, it may have felt like poetic justice when Arsenal were awarded a spot kick — for a challenge by David Hancko on Eberechi Eze —of their own in the 82nd minute.

That feeling of vindication would last just seconds, as UEFA's VAR team once again requested Makkelie review his decision on the pitchside monitor, and once again, the Dutch official changed his decision to side with the complaints of the home side.

Discussing the game after the full-time whistle, it was clear the Eze incident was still front and centre within Mikel Arteta's thinking.

He said: "After going back into the dressing room, speaking to the boys and watching the penalty incident, it's extremely disappointing and annoying because it was against the rules and it changes the course of the tie.

"I'm very, very upset.

"The whole sequence. There is clear contact. You make the decision, you cannot overturn that decision when you have to look at it 13 times. It's completely unacceptable at this level."

Arteta also appeared equally enthused about the Ben White penalty call.

He added: “In the manner that we conceded the penalty, we were disappointed. In the Premier League, it’s not a penalty, but here I have to accept that this is handball." (quoted by The Independent)

Best UK betting offers right now - 18+, BeGambleAware

But was Arteta right to suggest the penalty verdict may have been different if it had occurred in the Premier League? This is what the experts say on the issue.

What do the pundits and experts say?

Speaking immediately after the game, BBC Sport pundit Stephen Warnock made clear he did not believe the call would have been made in a Premier League match:

"I just don't think it gets given in the Premier League," Warnock said.

"His arm is already in that position and I know people might say it is an unnatural position but he's trying to block a shot and then it hits his leg and comes up and hits his arm.

"It's just a bizarre decision but I wouldn't say we are shocked at seeing it given in the Champions League."

TNT Sport pundit Steve McManaman went in even more strongly with his remarks and criticisms of UCL handball rules.

He said: "This handball rule is actually spoiling football, last night’s one against Alphonso Davies and tonight, it’s terrible."

In another report from the BBC Sport, the outlet's football issues correspondent Dale Johnson outlined the 'handball' would have only been "borderline" as per Premier League rules.

"The Premier League is more relaxed than Europe even when it comes to deflections before a handball. That said, Arsenal defender Gabriel should have really conceded a penalty at Newcastle earlier this season as his arm, when sliding, was raised very high and the deflection off the body was negligible.

"Would the ball deflecting off White's shin have caused VAR to stay out of this in the Premier League? Possibly, but the movement of the arm was very clear.

"A definite spot-kick in Europe, borderline for the Premier League."

What also has to be taken into account is that, over the course of the Premier League season, the organisation's governing refereeing body has time and again made clear their intention to only intervene on incidents considered to be "clear and obvious."

You can read more in detail about how Premier League VAR officials determine when to intervene here.

VAR expert Johnson uses the same logic to determine why the later decision to rule out Arsenal's initially awarded penalty for the aforementioned challenge on Eberechi Eze should not have been made.

He writes: "Soft? Absolutely. A clear and obvious error? Based on what Uefa said about the Madueke incident, the decision should remain with the on-field call.

Here, Johnson references a penalty Arsenal were awarded earlier in the Champions League season, when Noni Madueke went down under minimal contact against Bayer Leverkusen.

At the time UEFA are reported to have ruled: "While they would prefer no penalty was awarded on the field, the contact left the VAR with nowhere to go."

In light of that almost direct comparison, Johnson's report continues: "Fast forward to Wednesday's game, and Atletico's David Hancko clearly catching the boot of Eberechi Eze after he had played the ball.

"Soft? Absolutely. A clear and obvious error? Based on what Uefa said about the Madueke incident, the decision should remain with the on-field call.

"The Premier League follows the same logic in these situations. The decision might seem soft, but there's no reason to go against the referee's decision.

"If you are saying that the Madueke decision should stay as a penalty kick, then the same should apply to Eze.

"Indeed, the Eze decision would not have been overturned if it were a Premier League game."

What do the rules say?

Premier League rules, referenced here by Sky Sports, indicate that Premier League referees must consider the following mitigating factors before awarding a penalty for handball: "A player's proximity to the ball, if the arm is being used to support the body while falling, or a player deflecting or playing the ball onto their own arm where there is a clear change of trajectory of the ball."

The divsion's website contains the following detail: "Match officials in the Premier League will maintain a high threshold for penalising challenges – not every contact is a foul – while protecting player safety. The higher threshold will continue to applied for handball offences too."

There is no such higher threshold in place within the Champions League.

This difference is best outlined in this Guardian report: "In the Premier League, referees are encouraged to take into account the proximity of the player to the ball when kicked and whether a bigger body silhouette could be considered natural given the player’s action at the time. In Uefa matches this leeway is not commonly given."

Considering both the rules — and the opinions of leading experts on VAR and match officiating — we're forced to conclude that Mikel Arteta is in this instance correct: Ben White should not have been penalised with a penalty awarded against him.

In truth, if it takes a 1,000-word explanation to decide whether a so-called handball — in a sport played primarily with the foot — breaks the rules, there was nothing clear and obvious about this offence.

There is already more than enough slowing the game down, harming its aesthetic, and diminishing the overall product. So I urge UEFA to review and amend these rules before the final.

Football fans are tired of buzzwords like "clear and obvious," they're even more fatigued by the endless delays. It's about time that UEFA starts taking its officiating more seriously. The survival of the Champions League as a leading sporting product could depend on it.