Jamie Redknapp slams the handball law as 'TERRIBLE' and 'RIDICULOUS' after Arsenal's Kai Havertz sees a last-gasp strike ruled out... as he demands authorities change the rule

Jamie Redknapp has slammed the 'terrible' handball rule after Arsenal's Kai Havertz saw a last-gasp goal disallowed against Aston Villa.

The two high-flying teams faced off at Villa Park on Saturday evening in a top-of-the-table clash.

John McGinn's seventh-minute strike was enough for Unai Emery's side as they won their 15th home league game in a row, but Arsenal thought they had equalised late on.

Havertz turned the ball home after a scramble in the box, but he was adjudged to have handled by referee Jarred Gillett, before the decision was confirmed by VAR. 

However, Redknapp - who discussed the decision post-match with Karen Carney on Sky Sports - hit out out the laws of the game, insisting they were 'ridiculous'.

'I mean, unfortunately, it's the rule,' he fumed. 'It's a terrible rule that any time a ball touches a player's hand and if a goal occurs after then it becomes a handball, which is ridiculous when you think about it.

'It's a rubbish rule. How can that be handball? It looks like it could hit Matty Cash. It's just rebounding around, it maybe drops, it's ball to hand.

'I think that we're getting ourselves in such a mess with these rules all the time. How on earth can that be handball when he's not meant to do it? It's a rubbish law.'

When questioned, Mikel Arteta refused to openly criticise the officials as he cryptically said: 'Clear and obvious. That’s my opinion, that’s all I can say. I can only repeat: clear and obvious.'

However, Redknapp felt something had to be done and called on the sport's lawmakers to make a change to the rules.

He added: 'If we're trying to help football, we're trying to improve it and make it a better spectacle with more goals. The powers that be have to look at that and go, it's a bad rule. 

'It has grazed his arm, he's not meant to do it. If he sticks his arm out and it hits his hand that will be handball anyway. 

'But whoever's decided to come up with that as the law, I think it's ridiculous because it's cost Arsenal a goal.'