Liverpool were wrongly denied a penalty during their 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, the Premier League’s independent Key Match Incident (KMI) Panel has ruled.
The incident involved defender Jurrien Timber pulling back Alexander Isak inside the penalty area as the Liverpool forward attempted to reach a cross. Referee Andy Madley waved away the appeals, while video assistant referee Stuart Attwell decided not to recommend an on-field review.
However, the panel voted 4-1 that a penalty should have been awarded. Three of its five members also believed VAR should have intervened because the incident amounted to a clear and obvious error.
The ruling supports Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola’s criticism of the decision after the match. Iraola said there had been a clear pull on Isak’s shirt and expressed frustration that the incident was not punished. He also suggested that players might feel compelled to go down more easily in similar situations if such holding goes unpunished.
Kai Havertz scored the only goal of the match, giving Arsenal their first victory at Anfield since 2012.
In its explanation, the KMI Panel said Premier League officials are expected to penalise sustained holding that has a clear impact on play, particularly when a defender is focused on an opponent rather than attempting to win the ball.
The panel said referees should consider whether a player makes a genuine attempt to challenge for the ball, uses both arms to hold an opponent, or maintains a grip that affects the opponent’s movement or clothing.
It concluded that Timber’s challenge met the threshold for a holding offence and should have resulted in a penalty, both through the on-field decision and VAR intervention.
Liverpool subsequently lost 3-2 to Fenerbahce in the Champions League but returned to winning ways against Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
They remain fourth in the standings, nine points behind leaders Arsenal.
