Arsenal get new penalty review after controversial Liverpool decision
The five-person panel ruled that referee Andy Madley should have given a spot-kick for Jurrien Timber’s first-half shirt pull on Alexander Isak, which prevented the Reds striker from heading a Bradley Barcola cross inside the Arsenal box.
No foul was given and VAR Stuart Attwell did not recommend a review after deciding that there was not enough in the action to overturn the on-field decision, leaving Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola and captain Virgil van Dijk both bemused as well as fans and pundits alike.
Liverpool went on to lose the match 1-0 as a result of Kai Havertz’s early goal, which secured Arsenal’s first top-flight win at Anfield since 2012 as they went back to the top of the table.
The incident sparked a debate over whether players should have to go down in order to get a penalty, with much made of the fact that Isak stayed on his feet despite the contact from Timber.
"The Alex one is a clear penalty," Iraola said after the game. "You hold the shirt, we can all see that he holds the shirt. Because he doesn't go to the floor, you are not going to call the penalty. I don't understand it.
"That's the problem we have with the game. Because he doesn't dive and go to the floor. The fact that you are even asking me if he should go to the floor, if he goes to the floor, they call the penalty 100 per cent.
"It should be like this but it is what it is. Next time, the managers should tell Alex to go to the floor, otherwise they won't call it."
Iraola responded “yes, definitely” when asked if he would tell Isak to go down next time.
A frustrated Van Dijk said: “I think it was a clear penalty. I've seen it back, and I've seen it being given. It wasn't meant to be. We have 50 cameras.
“Why does he have to complain when there are so many cameras? Everyone has seen it. In the end, it wasn't given, and we lost the game unfortunately, so well done to Arsenal.”