Arne Slot reacts to the decision not to award Liverpool a penalty in the first half of their 0-0 Premier League draw at home to Leeds United
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 01: Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, and Curtis Jones of Liverpool speak to Referee Chris Kavanagh following the Premier League match between Liverpool and Leeds United at Anfield on January 01, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
Arne Slot and Curtis Jones speak to referee Chris Kavanagh following the Premier League match between Liverpool and Leeds United at Anfield on January 01, 2026
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Arne Slot was unable to hide his frustration as Liverpool were denied a penalty in their 0-0 draw with Leeds United on New Year’s Day. In the first half, Hugo Ekitike stayed on his feet during a tussle with Jaka Bijol in the box.
Florian Wirtz saw his subsequent shot on goal blocked from the striker’s lay off, but Reds legend Jamie Carragher, who was on commentary duties for Sky Sports, shared his belief that his former club would have been awarded a spot-kick had the France international gone to the floor.
Liverpool have only been awarded one penalty kick in the Premier League this season, away to Burnley back in September.
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And while Slot did not claim it was the wrong decision to not hand the Reds a spot-kick against Leeds, he made his frustration at his side’s treatment at the hand of officials perfectly clear.
“No, (it wasn’t a penalty) because he stayed on his feet,” the Dutchman said. “When he would have fallen down it would probably have been a penalty but I can understand why he doesn’t go down
“This season so many times when we were fouled in the 18-yard box, we did not get a penalty. Maybe as a result of that, players from us think: ‘Yeah, let’s try to stay on our feet’.
“We’ve conceded a few where there was hardly any contact. Brentford away, Crystal Palace in the Community Shield. I can go on and on and on with soft penalties we’ve conceded this season.
“But when fouls were being made on us, Brentford away, Cody Gakpo, the referee said play on, so maybe as a result of that, our players do everything to try and stay on their feet.
“And then it is hard for the VAR to interfere or the referee to give a penalty if you stay on your feet.
“We keep doing the same things. I don’t believe in the fact that over a season you get what you deserve. Sometimes things go against you, sometimes they go in favour of you.
“But in a long time, two, three, four seasons, then I believe in it, that things will sometimes be good for you.
“I think I am not wrong if I say that we have only had one penalty this season. For the team with the most ball possession and is attacking so much in and around the box of the other team, it is surprising.
“But I will not encourage them to do that (to go down easily). And if I told you now I am starting to encourage that, we would probably not get a penalty anymore!
“We are just who we are. We won the league as the team we were last season. There will probably be one or two moments. I can remember when Milos Kerkez went to the ground at Burnley away when he didn’t get fouled. Yes, you can find one or two moments when we go to the floor when there was not a foul.
“But I watch a lot of football and I see this happening so, so, so, so, so many times. But we stay on our feet.
“Against West Ham, (Lucas) Paqueta tried everything to do everything to get a yellow card, one of my players tried to help him out not getting that one. Did we ever get the reward for that?”
He continued: “I saw in the second half multiple times players who I would call being smart. If the referee every time blows his whistle if you feel something or you get a little push and you dive, and the referee every time gives every time a foul for that.
“Maybe it is smart then to constantly foul and you are hoping referees are recognising these situations.
“You’re hoping that if we are doing everything to stay on our feet, if we go to the floor the referee might think it is a foul because these players usually stay on their feet.
“But the opposite is actually happening and this is frustrating for me to see. I think there were five or six free-kicks in their 18-yard box when players, there was a time when a player went down because of his body so we played on.
“But even if we had four stitches in our head vs Man Utd for a head injury, the referee says play on, play on, play on. We conceded. But now he didn’t know how fast he had to give that free-kick.
“If you then don’t get the result you want, it adds up to frustrations I have to that regard. But it is not the reason we didn’t win. Let me be clear.
“But it is the reason why I am sometimes frustrated on the touchline.”