Liverpool should have been awarded a penalty during their 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in Gameweek 9 after the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents Panel ruled that Jurrien Timber committed a holding offence against Alexander Isak.
According to talkSPORT, the panel identified two VAR errors during the round of fixtures, including the decision not to award Liverpool a spot-kick following Timber’s challenge on the Sweden international.
Referee Andy Madley dismissed Liverpool’s appeal during the match, while VAR official Stuart Attwell reviewed the incident but did not recommend an on-field review.
However, four of the five panel members agreed that Madley should have awarded a penalty because of Timber’s shirt-pulling. A separate 3-2 majority also concluded that VAR should have intervened, describing the on-field decision as a clear and obvious error.
The panel unanimously agreed that the challenge did not warrant a red card.
Arsenal went on to secure all three points through Kai Havertz’s early goal, which proved decisive in the encounter.
After the match, Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola expressed his frustration with the officials, arguing that Timber’s actions prevented Isak from reaching the ball.
“There is a clear grab of the shirt. Alex was just in front of him. He was going to head in front of the goal, but couldn’t because he grabbed the shirt,” the coach said.
“If he goes to the floor, they call the penalty, 100 per cent. It should be like this, but it is what it is.
“Next time, the managers should tell Alex to go to the floor, otherwise they won’t call it. The answer is you have to dive. If you don’t dive they won’t call it.”
In its explanation, the Premier League confirmed that the majority of the panel considered Timber’s holding action sufficient to warrant a penalty, although one member disagreed.
“The panel felt that a penalty should have been awarded for a holding action by Timber on Isak, 4:1. One panellist considered the short-lived holding to lack clear impact on the ability of Isak to progress,” he said.
“The majority also felt that VAR should have intervened to recommend an on-field review, 3:2, on the basis that it was a clear and obvious error.”
The league added that referees must penalise holding offences when they have a material impact on play.
