Admission: English refereeing committee says Liverpool deserved a penalty against Arsenal
The key match incidents panel in the Premier League has settled the controversy over one of the most notable refereeing incidents in the Liverpool versus Arsenal clash, which was played earlier this month at Anfield and ended with a 1-0 win for the London side.
The panel confirmed that Liverpool deserved a penalty after Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber clearly pulled the shirt of their striker Alexander Isak during the match between the two teams on 1 November.
The incident occurred in the 21st minute. Isak tried to meet a Bradley Barcola cross with his head, but Timber tugged his shirt to stop him reaching the ball.
Television replays showed the pull clearly, yet referee Andy Madley waved play on. Video assistant referee Stuart Attwell checked the footage and backed the on-field decision.
According to the BBC BBC, the Key Match Incidents Panel voted four to one in favour of a penalty for Liverpool. Opinion split over whether VAR should have stepped in, with three votes to two agreeing the referee should have been sent to the pitchside review screen.
Arsenal led at that point through a Kai Havertz goal, the strike that settled the match in their favour.
Liverpool manager: Isak should have gone down!
Andoni Iraola, Liverpool's manager, slammed the non-award after the match, pointing out that someone clearly pulled Isak's shirt as he tried to reach the ball.
Iraola said: "There was a clear shirt pull. Isak was right in front of it, getting ready to head the ball towards goal, but he couldn't do it because his shirt was pulled."
"If he had gone down, the referee would have given a penalty 100%, and that is how things should have gone, but this is what happened," he added.
Sarcasm followed. "Next time, managers should tell Alex to go down, otherwise the referees won't give anything," he said.
He concluded: "The answer is that you have to go down, because if you don't do that they won't give you a penalty."
Another refereeing error in the Ipswich v Hull match
The panel flagged another VAR error during the clash between Ipswich Town and Hull City on 31 October.
Ipswich deserved a penalty, it confirmed, after Noble Mendy pulled Dara O'Shea and stopped him moving freely at one of the corner kicks.
Referee Peter Bankes missed the foul, and video assistant referee Neil Davies did not intervene, even though the panel ruled the failure to award the penalty a refereeing error.
Goalless at the time of the incident, the match later saw Ipswich take the lead before finishing 2-2.
