Liverpool should have been awarded a penalty when Jurrien Timber pulled Alexander Isak’s shirt in Arsenal’s victory at Anfield, an independent panel has ruled.
The Key Match Incidents (KMI) panel assesses refereeing incidents across every Premier League match and voted 4:1 that referee Andy Madley should have awarded Liverpool a spot kick.
The panel also voted 3:2 that VAR Stuart Attwell should have intervened and sent Madley to the pitchside monitor on the basis that it was a clear and obvious error.
Arsenal led 1-0 through Kai Havertz’s goal, which proved to be the winner, when Isak attempted to head Bradley Barcola’s cross in the 21st minute on November 1, but was pulled back by defender Timber.
One KMI panellist believed “the short-lived holding to lack clear impact on the ability of Isak to progress”, while two panellists argued, “the subjectivity in assessing impact meant this did not meet the high threshold for VAR intervention”.
Isak stayed on his feet during the incident and Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola said afterwards he would tell the striker to go down next time.
What the pundits said…
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Jamie Carragher, Daniel Sturridge and Ian Wright discuss Liverpool’s penalty shout after Jurrien Timber pulled Alexander Isak’s shirt as the striker attempted to head the ball
Jamie Carragher: “One of the best goalscorers in the league is pulled back seven yards out and it stops him heading the ball – why does he need to make a meal of it? VAR, do your job.”
Ian Wright: “He shouldn’t have to make more of it. We can see it… Unless I’m pulled back, I’m going to head it as much as I can. When he pulled him, it was just about enough as he would need to go down.
“VAR is wrong in this instance. If they gave that penalty, I wouldn’t sit here and say ‘I can’t believe they gave that’.”
Gary Neville: “It’s actually unnatural not to make more of it. When you get pulled and you’re just about to score, you ordinarily complain like crazy. Its a very odd reaction from Isak.”
Daniel Sturridge: “Unfortunately, he (Isak) has not fallen over. You’re supposed to fall over, put your arms in the air and show the referee you’re mad about it… to me, his reaction is almost like ‘VAR, do your job’.
“But they’ve not done their job. He shouldn’t have to make more of it – clearly, he shouldn’t. Everyone can see that his arm is stretched, he [Timber] is holding him with a stretched-out arm.”
Ref Watch’s verdict…
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The Ref Watch panel discuss whether Liverpool should have been awarded a penalty at Anfield against Arsenal, after Jurrien Timber appeared to pull the shirt of Alexander Isak
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher: “It depends which angle you watch it from. The first angle, you see nothing. That is the referee’s angle.
“The second angle, which is what VAR looks at, and it is a lot more damning.
“VAR looks at it in slow motion, which is another thing against him. In normal speed, he grabs and grabs him quickly but let’s go. Does he do enough [for a penalty]?
“What is Timber’s intention? He is on the wrong side of him. Does he do enough to stop him? He [Isak] will say yes, as he is close to the ball.
“VAR would be accused of re-refereeing if it is a penalty. It is a case of damned if they do and damned if they don’t.
“It has to be the case of on-field. The more I watch it, the more I think he [Timber] has taken a big chance and has got lucky.”
What happens if Isak goes down? “Once a player hits the ground, there are more questions to ask.
“There is asking what has knocked him down. Has he gone down by his own momentum, has he slipped or has he been pulled or pushed.
“Once you factor that in, obviously you have a different decision. He [referee] has to deal with the situation he has seen. He has seen a little pull of the jersey and thought no penalty.”
Jay Bothroyd: “Where was the referee? Every angle, I can see it is a penalty.
“He has pulled his shirt. How can none of them [referee and VAR] see that and say it is a penalty? I can’t comprehend that. I don’t get it.
“That is one of the most obvious penalties [I have seen]. He is running forward! He has stifled his momentum going forward, to stop him heading the ball.
“Every angle I look at, even normal time, I said it could be a penalty. I look at it now, the more I see it, the more I ask myself how they have missed it! How do they lose focus and not get that.”
Liverpool’s view…
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Speaking after the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at Anfield, Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola suggested that Alexander Isak would have been awarded a penalty if he’d gone to ground and claimed that he’ll be instructing his players to do so in future
Andoni Iraola: “The Isak one is a clear penalty. We can all see that he holds the t-shirt. The ball just goes one centimetre in front of Alex. Alex is going to hit the ball in front of the goal.”
On whether the player needed to go down: “The fact that you are even asking me that shows he should have gone to the floor. If he does, they call the penalty 100 per cent.
Asked whether he will tell Alex to go down next time: “Yes, definitely.”
Virgil van Dijk: “I’ve seen it back and I’ve seen it given as well on other occasions. Today it wasn’t meant to be.
“The VAR doesn’t notice it? There are 50 cameras. Even more. Why does he have to complain when there are so many cameras? It is spotted because everyone’s seen it.
“In the end, it wasn’t given and we lose the game unfortunately, so well done to Arsenal.”
From Arsenal’s perspective, Mikel Arteta said he had not watched the incident back and had no comment when asked by Sky Sports.
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