‘On another day…’ – Ex-PGMOL chief says Liverpool were ‘fortunate’ with one decision on Sunday
A former Premier League referee believes that Liverpool were ‘fortunate’ with one incident in particular from their defeat to Arsenal on Sunday.
The Reds were left incensed by the failure of referee Andy Madley and VAR Stuart Attwell to spot a clear shirt tug by Jurrien Timber on Alexander Isak inside the penalty area, a decision that Steven Gerrard lamented as ‘an absolute embarrassment‘.
It has even prompted debate as to whether the Swedish striker – who stayed on his feet and didn’t protest – could’ve done more to influence the officials, but earlier in the match there was an incident which had the Gunners complaining.
Inside the opening minute, Trey Nyoni caught Martin Odegaard on the Achilles but avoided a yellow card, just as he did for a foul on Kai Havertz shortly afterwards.
Hackett: Nyoni and Liverpool were ‘fortunate’
Former PGMOL chief executive Keith Hackett feels that the Liverpool midfielder was quite lucky not to have been at least booked over those two early fouls, especially the first one.
He told Football Insider: “First of all, it doesn’t matter whether it’s the first or the 90th minute; the laws of the game apply. For me, if you like, the least amount of punishment on that is a yellow card. I think that challenge is reckless.
“On another day… and because it is early, I think that’s why he’s fortunate not to get a red. He’s raked his studs down the Achilles of his opponent.
“However you look at that, that has to receive a sanction; so for me, I’ll give him slight benefit of the doubt, slight mistiming, whatever you want, but he has to come out of that with a yellow card at the very minimum.”
Liverpool got away with one in that instance
Taking the challenge on Odegaard in isolation, Nyoni probably should’ve been booked for the nature of the foul, irrespective of it being in the first minute. We acknowledge that the Liverpool youngster got away with one there.
Would he have flown into the tackle on Havertz had he already been on a yellow card? Maybe not, but to us it’s one of those where a word of warning from Madley would’ve sufficed.
In that scenario, we suspect that Andoni Iraola may have substituted the 19-year-old much earlier than the 59th minute, for fear that the midfielder was a red card in waiting and was showing a bit too much enthusiasm on his first Premier League start.
Nyoni and Liverpool were lucky in that instance, but don’t let this be a case of two wrongs making a right when weighing it up against the penalty we should’ve had for Timber’s shirt tug on Isak.
Football stakeholders are right to demand higher standards of officiating at top-flight level, and the onus is on Pro Ref chief executive Howard Webb to ensure that his referees do better.
