Ollie Watkins handball prompts VAR controversy as Al Hilal goal ruled out

A disallowed goal by Al Hilal striker Ollie Watkins was correctly overturned after a VAR review during Saturday’s Saudi Pro League clash with Al-Ittihad, according to refereeing expert Saad Al Kathiri.

Al Hilal were hosting their traditional rivals at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh in the eighth round of the Roshn Saudi League when Watkins appeared to score in the second minute of first-half added time.

The England forward met a cross and directed the ball into the net. Referee Khalid Al-Tres initially awarded the goal, but he then consulted the video assistant referee before cancelling his decision after concluding that Watkins had used his hand.

The goal would have been Al Hilal’s third of the match, with the hosts leading 2-1 at the time. Instead, the decision ensured that Al Hilal did not take a three-goal advantage into half-time, a margin that would have made the second half more difficult for Al-Ittihad.

Al Kathiri backed the referee’s intervention and said the video review had correctly identified the handball.

“Cancelling the goal scored by the Al Hilal attacker in the 45+3rd minute was the correct decision by the referee after referring to VAR. The Al Hilal attacker played the ball with his hand,” Al Kathiri told Saudi newspaper Al Jazirah.

Footage of the incident showed the referee’s original decision being overturned, with the disallowed effort described as Watkins scoring Al Hilal’s third goal before the intervention.