The Professional Game Match Official Limited (PGMOL) group and the Premier League Matchday Centre have confirmed that Harry Kane was offside before winning his penalty against Arsenal on Saturday.

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 29: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur falls to the ground during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on October 29, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 29: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur falls to the ground during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on October 29, 2018, in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Anyone who’s seen the replays of the game on Saturday could easily tell Kane was in an offside position when the ball came in from the free-kick that led to his penalty. However, there was some debate in the media over whether the foul came before the offside.

A number of journalists (people who report on matches and aren’t qualified to officiate them) argued that Kane was fouled before he made an attempt to play the ball, and posted cropped screenshots of the rules to prove that meant he wasn’t offside.

What they all chose to ignore was the fact that if Kane challenges an opponent for the ball, as he did, he’s offside whether he attempts to play it or not.

Thankfully, the PGMOL (the group that officiates all Premier League matches) and the Premier League Matchday Centre both confirmed that Kane should have been given offside.

https://twitter.com/alanshearer/status/1102159634952015872

It’s up to you whether to believe the people who enforce the rules on a weekly basis or some people on Twitter who had to look those rules up to form their interpretation.