'A scandal' - was Leeds penalty correct and what does law say?

A new Premier League season - but the same refereeing controversies.

Leeds marked their return to the top flight with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Everton on Monday, with Lukas Nmecha's second-half penalty enough to separate the sides.

But there was some debate over the decision to award the spot-kick.

As Anton Stach's powerful strike arrowed towards goal, Everton defender James Tarkowski leaned to his left in an attempt to block the shot - and did so with his arm, which was tucked tightly to the side of his body.

Referee Chris Kavanagh paused for a moment before pointing to the spot, with the Toffees players incensed.

"As soon as the ref blew I was pretty confident it was going to get overturned," Tarkowski told Sky Sports. "My first question was 'if my arm is by my side is it a penalty?' And he said 'no'.

"I've since read I leaned into the ball but there was nothing unnatural about my arm being by my side. I can't understand it. Bizarre."

Manager David Moyes also described the decision as "wrong" - but was it?

According to Law 12, which covers handball, an infringement occurs when a player "touches the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger".

The law, which is detailed on the Football Association's website, external, goes on to explain that "a player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player's body movement for that specific situation".

But this is where it becomes murky.

Before last season, the handball law was actually relaxed slightly. Players were told by the Premier League they do not have to move with their arms rigidly by their sides or behind their backs.

The position of their arm or hand will be judged purely in relation to the movement of their body.

"We get a sense that we give too many handballs for actions that are quite normal and justifiable," refereeing boss Howard Webb said at the time.

"The guidance to officials this season is 'less is more'. You will see fewer harsh handball penalties."

The pundits were certainly split on the decision - and there was some confusion over the actual wording of the law, too.

Ex-Premier League forward Chris Sutton said on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club it was a "scandal" and "really, really harsh".

"That's not a penalty," he said. "That's absolutely not a penalty. Who knows what the directive is, but his arm is down by his side.

"We'll hear David Moyes after - but that's a scandal, I think. That's never a penalty."

Former Everton defender Conor Coady, now at Wrexham, added: "I don't like it. I don't like the rule - I don't know what is and isn't handball these days."

But Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher were both in agreement on Sky Sports that the referee got it right.

"The guilt was written all over Tarkowski's face. He knows it is a penalty," said Neville.

"Tarkowski moved his arm towards the ball. He leans into it and he blocks it. It is a penalty, and he knows what he has done.

"He knows it is a penalty. He knows that he has made a mistake."

Moyes said "the referees haven't had a great weekend" after the game and that it was a "really poor decision".

"I'm really disappointed and unless you cut the boys hand off, I don't know where he goes," he told BBC Sport. "I don't know if the crowd plays a part in it.

"I think it's a really poor decision. VAR [the video assistant referee] had a chance to undo it. They tried to say he was leaning to the ball - surely you're allowed to lean with your hands by your sides."

While Moyes and Tarkowski pleaded Everton's case, however, Leeds boss Daniel Farke said he "hopes the referee was right".

"During the game I got the feeling it was a penalty," he told BBC Sport. "There was an emotional influence by the roar of the home crowd.

"I was a bit worried the check was so long, but if the check takes that long then surely you can't overturn it."