Ian Holloway believes that the EU is to blame for the new handball rule that is causing controversy in the Premier League.

The new rule, which disallows any goal scored or created with the use of the hand or arm, even if it is accidental, came in for criticism after it cost Manchester City against Tottenham on Saturday.

Gabriel Jesus thought he had scored a late winner but his goal was ruled out as the ball brushed Aymeric Laporte’s arm on its way to the Brazilian.

Referee Michael Oliver initially let the goal stand but it was checked by VAR and eventually disallowed.

The incident was discussed on Sky Sports’ The Debate show on Tuesday, where Holloway said he wants Brexit implemented as you can’t have ‘people telling us how to do our own game’.

“For me it doesn't make sense, the handball rule,” the former Queens Park Rangers manager said.

“If it's not handball for both, how can you assess that. And to be fair, is that clear and obvious? They forgot the most important thing of all.

“Their job is to not re-referee the game but to be clear and obvious, so I don't think that's our boys making up that new change of law. 

I think that's people telling us what we need to do with our game, now they should stop doing that. 

“I hope we get out, Brexit, because that's what people are voting for and sorting that out because you cannot have someone telling us how to do our own game.”

Okay, Ian…

While Holloway is blaming the EU for the new handball rule, former Premier League official Mark Halsey is taking the more measured approach of blaming football’s lawmakers.

“Obviously to the letter of the law they were correct in what happened, and there’s only one person to blame for the change in the law of handling the ball, and that’s David Elleray and the IFAB,” Halsey told talkSPORT on Monday.

“For me, in a situation like that we’ve got to be giving goals, you cannot see goals chalked off for those sort of incidents.

“I just think it’s an a**. The law now is an a**.”