Liverpool should have had penalty for shirt-pull on Isak – Panel

Liverpool should have been awarded a penalty for the shirt-pull on Alexander Isak in their Premier League match against Arsenal, an expert panel ruled Wednesday. The Sweden striker’s shirt was tugged by Gunners defender Jurrien Timber in the match at Anfield on November 1, which Premier League champions Arsenal won 1-0. Referee Andy Madley let the incident pass without sanction, and video assistant referee Stuart Attwell decided against recommending a review.

The decision was criticised at the time by pundits such as Jamie Carragher and Ian Wright, and now the five-person Key Match Incidents panel has said a penalty should have been awarded. Madley’s decision was criticised by four of the panellists, who felt Timber’s challenge met the threshold for a holding offence, while three felt Attwell should have intervened because it was a clear and obvious error by Madley.

Isak did not make any protest about Timber’s shirt-pull to the on-field officials, in a match which was settled by Kai Havertz’s goal for the Gunners. Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola, asked after the match whether Isak should have gone down following the challenge, replied: “It’s a shame you ask me this question, but honestly, yes, we have to tell them (the players), go down, because they (the officials) are not going to call it otherwise.

“And then referees complain why they go down. Because if you don’t go down, you don’t call it. Then it’s like, no, you are all the time going down. “But I think Alex is honest. He tries to go for the ball, everyone can see live straight away there is a clear, clear pull.”