With the pressure cooker turned up, it took until the 95th minute for table-topping Liverpool to score against Scott Parker's Burnley as the inevitable Mohamed Salah took on the penalty-taking responsibility to sweep his effort past Martin Dubravka with ease to finish the Premier League encounter with a 1-0 victory. Amid anger from fans, an ex-PGMOL chief has given his verdict on whether the Egyptian talisman should've been called back to retake his spot kick.
Despite spending north of £400 million on an array of new faces – including the likes of Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz – Arne Slot's side are yet to look convincing since the start of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign. The Merseysiders won the title at a relative canter last time out; but if their form continues, that is not going to be the case.
It took until the 88th minute against Bournemouth, the 100th minute against Newcastle United, the 83rd minute against Arsenal and the 95th minute against Burnley for Liverpool to bag the respective winners in those top flight fixtures. Reds marksman Salah was on hand to score the latter – but concerns have arisen over the eligibility of the 33-year-old winger's effort from 12 yards out against the Clarets.
Ex-PGMOL and FIFA Chief on Salah's Match-Winning Penalty
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In the game's dying embers, with both sides poised to walk away from Turf Moor with a point apiece, Jeremie Frimpong's cross was blocked by ex-Manchester United player Hannibal Mejbri. The Tunisia international's arm, however, was extended out from a natural position and referee Michael Oliver had no choice but to point to the spot.
Jamie Carragher, on commentary duty for Sky Sports, drew widespread criticism for calling Hannibal 'brain dead' for his 'moment of madness' in the dying embers of the clash on Sunday. "Burnley don't deserve that," the ex-Liverpool defender said. "Brain dead. It's a moment of madness! What is he doing?"
Carragher's remarks aside, Liverpool were given the gilt-edged chance to secure all three points on away soil – but was Salah's attempt, which was rifled past Dubravka with intent, illegal? There are plenty of fans online that think so after it appeared that Frimpong entered the box before the penalty had been taken. Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, ex-PGMOL and FIFA figure Keith Hackett has given his verdict.
Watch Mohamed Salah's penalty vs Burnley below:
"At the time, I didn't know the law had changed, and I picked up all the law changes," Hackett said before claiming that Oliver is among the best officials the Premier League has to offer. "This is Michael Oliver, who is world-class and probably our No.1 official. He allows it to happen, and there's no intervention from VAR. I was really surprised.
The new law Hackett refers to is that the encroaching player – who is Frimpong in this case – must impact the goalkeeper in order for the goal to be disallowed. After admitting his surprise over Oliver's split-second decision, 81-year-old Hackett claimed the fact that Frimpong encroached on the penalty area before Salah, widely regarded as one of the best players in world football, but the new regulations means that he is clear from being penalised.
"He [Frimpong] had really gone into the penalty area, and that should have resulted in a changed decision. With encroachment from an attacking player, if a goal is scored, what the referee has to judge is the impact that the player has had on the goalkeeper.
"Michael Oliver has judged that Frimpong's movement has not impacted the goalkeeper, and, therefore, he allows the goal," Hackett continued before explaining why Oliver didn't ask Salah to re-take his spot kick. "That's the law. It did surprise me. The subjectivity is whether there's an impact." He continued: "This is the matrix produced from penalty kicks. Frimpong, probably because he's out to the right and not in the centre, so he's not impacting the goalkeeper, is why the goal was allowed to stand."
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Looking ahead after reclaiming their spot at the summit of England's primary division, Slot and his entourage will be preparing for a visit from Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid as both sides kickstart their 2025/26 Champions League campaign on Wednesday. Everton's trip to Anfield then follows, on Saturday 30 September, upon their return to domestic action.