So VAR can spend several minutes examining a shirt pull involving Kai Havertz, send the referee to the pitchside monitor and scrutinise the incident from every possible angle.
But when Alexander Isak had his shirt pulled by Jurrien Timber against Arsenal at Anfield, apparently there wasn’t enough reason to take a closer look.
You couldn’t make it up.
I’m not arguing that every shirt pull should automatically result in a penalty. Football is full of contact, and officials have to make decisions based on the laws of the game. But supporters are entitled to expect consistency, and this is exactly why confidence in Premier League officiating continues to take a battering.
Two shirt pulls, two very different experiences
Let’s remind ourselves what happened against Arsenal.
Isak was preparing to attack a dangerous Bradley Barcola cross when Timber clearly grabbed his shirt and pulled him back. It affected his ability to reach the ball, and Liverpool were denied what Andoni Iraola described as a clear penalty.
The referee, Andy Madley, didn’t award it. Stuart Attwell was on VAR duty, but the decision wasn’t overturned and there was no pitchside review.
Liverpool were left asking questions, with Iraola even suggesting he would tell his players to go to ground in future because apparently staying on your feet isn’t enough.
Fast forward to Arsenal’s match against Hull City and we see VAR examining a shirt pull on Havertz by Nobel Mendy.
This time, the officials recommended an on-field review for a potential penalty. The decision was ultimately ruled out because Havertz was judged to have been offside in the build-up.
There is an important distinction here: the Havertz incident was not ultimately awarded as a penalty. But the contrast in the level of scrutiny is what will frustrate Liverpool supporters.
Why wasn’t Isak’s incident given the same level of attention?
Why should players have to fall over?
This is the part that really annoys me.
Isak was trying to get his head on the ball. He wasn’t looking to manufacture a penalty or throw himself to the ground. He was trying to score.
Yet the impression being created is that players need to exaggerate contact before officials take notice.
That cannot be right.
A shirt pull doesn’t become a foul only when a player falls over. If an opponent illegally holds a player’s shirt and prevents him from challenging for the ball, the officials should be looking at the actual infringement.
Steven Gerrard was furious about the failure to intervene in the Isak incident, describing it as an embarrassment. Jamie Carragher and Ian Wright also questioned why the penalty wasn’t given.
These aren’t just Liverpool supporters complaining because their team lost.
The Premier League needs to explain itself
I don’t expect Liverpool to receive special treatment. I want exactly the opposite: the same standards applied to every club.
If VAR believes a shirt pull deserves a lengthy examination in one match, supporters need to understand why another incident involving a shirt pull doesn’t receive the same treatment.
The Havertz incident also raises questions about the way VAR communicates its decisions. The Premier League needs to make these processes clearer, rather than leaving supporters trying to work out why one incident receives a review and another doesn’t.
Liverpool had their own problems against Arsenal and cannot blame officials for everything. But that doesn’t mean we should simply accept decisions that raise legitimate questions.
So VAR checks the shirt pull on Havertz, but Liverpool were left wondering why Isak’s incident wasn’t properly examined in the same way.
This league is becoming a joke when it comes to consistency.
I don’t want favours for Liverpool. I just want the same rules, the same scrutiny and the same standards for everyone.
Is that really too much to ask?
Jamie – (The Kopite View)
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