Liverpool fell to a fourth successive league defeat at Brentford on Saturday.placeholder image
Liverpool fell to a fourth successive league defeat at Brentford on Saturday. | Getty Images
Two major penalty decisions went against Liverpool at Brentford on Saturday evening
Liverpool were defeated for a fourth consecutive Premier League game on Saturday, as the Reds were defeated 3-2 at Brentford to pile the pressure on Arne Slot and his players.
Though the challenge initially appeared to be outside the box and the referee whistled for a free-kick, a moment of drama saw Tim Robinson instructed by VAR to give a spot-kick. With Liverpool confused, Igor Thiago rolled the penalty down the centre and Brentford had an unassailable lead, which Liverpool could not overturn despite a late Mohamed Salah strike.
Some further explanation has been given regarding two of the biggest decisions of the night, which both ultimately contributed to Liverpool’s defeat.
Brentford’s penalty decision against Liverpool explained
Shortly after the incident, the Premier League Match Centre X account explained the factual decision: "After VAR review, the referee overturned the original decision of free-kick to Brentford. Referee announcement: ‘After review, the challenge by Liverpool No 4 is on the line. My final decision is penalty.’”
Speaking on BBC Match of the Day, former Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick said on the incident: “It’s really, really close. Initially, I thought it was outside the box in real time, and I wasn’t sure what the contact was from where we were watching it. I have to say, when you stop it, it’s on the line. And I think it’s very close. If it’s on the line, then it’s a penalty.
“But my little one is for me, from a referee’s point of view, historically it needs to be more inside the box to give a penalty than it does outside the box to get a free-kick. If the referee’s thinking it’s outside the box, I can give a free-kick, it’s not the end of the world. A penalty is obviously a bit of a bigger decision, but it’s taken away from him because it’s in the box anyway.”
Ex-referee Keith Hackett gives verdict on Cody Gakpo incident
There was also drama at the other end, as Cody Gakpo went down under the challenge of Nathan Collins late in the first half, just moments before Brentford went up the other end and scored their second goal of the night through Kevin Schade. But the Reds were not given a penalty, a decision which was backed up by VAR.
Former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee Keith Hackett has revealed that he agrees it was the right decision not to give the Reds a penalty. He told Football Insider: “Referee Simon Hooper was ideally positioned to detect if there was any contact to award a penalty kick.
“Frankly there is no clear evidence that there was actual contact and therefore without that evidence rightly VAR did not intervene. These decisions are so much more credible when the referee is in close proximity to play to judge accurately what has taken place. Without that clear evidence of contact, you would not award a penalty kick.”
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