The ball bounces off Alexis Sanchez's hand as Arsenal take a controversial lead against Hull

Andy Robertson said referee Mark Clattenburg apologised to Hull's players for allowing Alexis Sanchez's controversial opener in the 2-0 defeat at Arsenal.

Arsenal took the lead at the Emirates in the 34th minute when the ball hit Sanchez's hand on its way in, and the Chile international sealed victory for Arsene Wenger's stuttering side from the penalty spot in stoppage time after Tigers midfielder Sam Clucas was sent off for handling on the line.

"Yeah, it was handball," Robertson told Sky Sports 1. "When we came out at half-time, the referee's apologised to us and said there was handball so he's obviously looked at it at half-time and seen he was in the wrong.

Sanchez's goal was allowed to stand despite the ball going in off his hand

"It happened so quick that it's a tough one for the ref, you've got to kind of feel sorry for him and that, but at the end of the day those decisions don't really go for you when you come to these big stadiums and that's killed us at the end of the day. If we go in 0-0 at half-time I think we would have come away with some points.

"He says he wasn't 100 per cent sure. Obviously we can argue then that he shouldn't have given the goal if he wasn't sure but I think he argued it the other way that if he wasn't sure then he had to give the goal.

"That's the explanation he gave us, obviously not many referees admit they're wrong so it's good but it doesn't make it any better."

Hull boss Marco Silva blasted what he described as an "illegal goal", saying: "Of course I am not happy and I think we didn't deserve this result.

"Some of the decisions, the important decisions are not good for us today. About the game, Arsenal started well, started better than our team. But the story is that they scored with an illegal goal."

Wenger said he did not have a clear view of the incident but admitted he had sympathy for Silva's side.

"Honestly, I don't know," he said. "I am responsible for many things but not for the referee's decisions so I feel sorry for Hull but I feel that we had to cope recently with some decisions and you did not ask me these questions.

"So I am sorry. I want the right decisions to be made."