Last week, I wrote an article expressing my concerns about Andy Madley being appointed referee for Liverpool’s huge Premier League meeting with Arsenal at Anfield.
I wanted to be proved wrong. I wanted the officials to have a quiet afternoon, let the football do the talking and give both teams a fair chance.
Unfortunately, after watching Sunday’s 1-0 defeat, I came away feeling that my concerns had been justified.
And one incident in particular has left me asking serious questions.
How on earth was Alexander Isak not awarded a penalty after Jurrien Timber clearly pulled his shirt?
The incident that left Liverpool furious
Liverpool were already trailing after Kai Havertz punished Alisson’s costly mistake in the 16th minute.
But the Reds had an opportunity to get back into the game when Bradley Barcola delivered a dangerous cross into the penalty area.
Isak was trying to get on the end of it when Timber appeared to pull his shirt, preventing the Liverpool striker from reaching the ball.
It was there for everyone to see.
Yet referee Andy Madley allowed play to continue, and VAR official Stuart Attwell did not intervene.
I have watched the incident repeatedly, and I still cannot understand how that decision was reached.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk certainly wasn’t impressed either.
After the game, he said:
“I think it was a clear penalty… I’ve seen it back and I’ve seen it being given as well on other occasions.”
When questioned about VAR failing to spot the incident, Van Dijk added:
“We have 50 cameras. Why does he have to complain when there are so many cameras? Everyone has seen it.”
That tells you how frustrated the Liverpool players were.
Isak shouldn’t have to throw himself to the ground
What makes the decision even more frustrating is that Isak tried to stay on his feet.
He was attempting to reach the ball and score, rather than looking for an opportunity to win a penalty.
Andoni Iraola was equally unhappy afterwards, suggesting that players are effectively being encouraged to go to ground because otherwise officials might not award the decision.
He even joked that he would have to tell his players to go down in future.
What sort of message does that send?
We constantly hear about wanting to remove simulation from football, yet incidents like this risk rewarding players who exaggerate contact rather than those who try to stay on their feet.
If a defender pulls an attacker’s shirt and prevents him from reaching the ball, the officials should judge the incident on what actually happened.
It shouldn’t matter whether the player falls over or stays upright.
I had concerns before the game – and now look what happened
This is why I wrote my original article last week.
I wasn’t suggesting that Madley would deliberately favour Arsenal, and I certainly wasn’t accusing him of having anything against Liverpool.
But I did have concerns about the appointment, and I wanted to see a consistent performance from the officials.
Unfortunately, the biggest decision of the afternoon went against Liverpool.
The Isak incident was a major moment in the game. Had a penalty been awarded and converted, it could have completely changed the outcome.
That doesn’t guarantee Liverpool would have won, but it would have given them a huge opportunity to get back into the contest.
There was also another penalty appeal involving Cody Gakpo and Christos Tzolis. That incident was less clear-cut, and I can understand why the officials viewed it differently.
But the Isak shirt pull is the one that will dominate the post-match discussion.
Liverpool cannot blame everything on the referee
I also want to be fair.
Liverpool didn’t lose solely because of Andy Madley or VAR.
Alisson’s mistake gifted Arsenal the lead, Alexis Mac Allister missed a huge headed opportunity and Florian Wirtz saw a brilliant free-kick strike the crossbar.
Liverpool also failed to register a shot on target, which tells its own story about the attacking problems Iraola still needs to address.
Arsenal defended extremely well and deserve credit for protecting their advantage.
But that doesn’t mean we should ignore the officials’ contribution to the discussion.
Two things can be true at once: Liverpool needed to perform better, and they should have had a penalty.
My verdict: My concerns have not gone away
I would love nothing more than to write an article admitting that my worries about the referee were completely misplaced.
Instead, I’m sitting here discussing another controversial decision that has left Liverpool supporters furious.
I raised my concerns before the game, and unfortunately the Isak incident has only reinforced them.
I’m not asking for special treatment for Liverpool. I’m asking for consistency, accountability and officials who use the technology available to them properly.
If that shirt pull isn’t enough for VAR to intervene, supporters are entitled to ask what exactly it takes.
I wanted Andy Madley to prove my concerns wrong. Sadly, after what happened at Anfield, I feel I was justified in raising them.
And that is the most frustrating part of all.
Jamie – (The Kopite View)
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