Mark Clattenburg has delivered his verdict exclusively to TBR Football on the two controversial penalty incidents as Liverpool were beaten by Brentford in the Premier League.
Liverpool’s awful streak continues in England’s top flight, with Arne Slot defeated again, this time at the hands of Keith Andrews’ Brentford side.
It was a game once again swarmed with VAR controversy. Liverpool felt hard done by twice – the first for Brentford’s penalty, which looked close to outside the box, and the other for Cody Gakpo, who wasn’t awarded a spot kick for going down in the box.
Referee Simon Hooper looks on as and waves away call for a penalty as Cody Gakpo of Liverpool goes down under pressure from Nathan Collins of Brentford during the Premier League match between Brentford and Liverpool
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
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But were the officials correct in their decisions on Saturday evening?
Mark Clattenburg on Virgil van Dijk penalty incident
Dango Ouattara dribbled away from the Liverpool box but was tripped by Virgil van Dijk, initially resulting in a free-kick awarded by referee Tim Robinson.
It's on the line but Virgil van Dijk catches Dango Ouattara at the edge of the box 💥
After a VAR check, Igor Thiago restores Brentford's two-goal from the penalty spot ⚽ pic.twitter.com/DKAQUhKAVP
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) October 25, 2025
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However, after a VAR review, Robinson was told to award a penalty – a decision that Mark Clattenburg deemed correct.
He exclusively told TBR Football: “Virgil van Dijk clearly made contact with Dango Ouattara’s foot on the line of the penalty area.
“The line of the penalty area is part of the penalty area, so any contact would result in a penalty kick. First impression was that the contact was outside, but all the angles show it was on the line.”
Should Cody Gakpo have had a penalty against Brentford?
Gakpo went down in the closing stages of the first half, but replays showed minimal, if any, contact with the Liverpool forward. Still, there were definite calls for a penalty.
Clattenburg again told TBR Football: “Cody Gakpo wanted a penalty kick when he was challenged inside the penalty area.
“The referee’s decision not to award a spot kick was an excellent one, as it’s clear that Gakpo sees the leg of the defender and throws himself to the ground.
“Referees look for unnatural action from attackers when awarding a penalty kick, and it’s clear from the replays that Gakpo’s arms are above his head; if the fall was natural, the arms would be outstretched, breaking the fall.”
The Reds have no excuses, with both incidents cleared by the former referee. Another bad day at the office for Slot and his side.