Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has delivered a furious response to the controversial penalty decisions during Sunday’s Premier League clash against Arsenal, admitting that he may have to instruct his players to go to ground more often if they want referees to award penalties in the future.
The Reds suffered a frustrating afternoon at Anfield as Arsenal secured their first Premier League victory at the stadium in 14 years. However, the result was not the only talking point, with Iraola left particularly unhappy about two penalty incidents involving Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo.
The Liverpool boss believes his team should have been awarded a first-half penalty after Isak appeared to have his shirt pulled while attempting to reach a dangerous cross inside the Arsenal penalty area.
Despite the apparent contact, the referee decided against awarding a spot-kick, leaving Liverpool players and supporters furious.
Speaking after the match, Iraola made it clear that he could not understand why the incident was not considered a penalty, especially given the impact the shirt pull had on Isak’s ability to challenge for the ball.
“I think the Isak one is a clear penalty,” Iraola insisted.
“He’s going to head the ball in front of the goal. They grab him where everyone sees the shirt. You don’t need a lot just to affect Alex because the ball goes just in front of him.
“I don’t see the reason why. Probably because he doesn’t dive or he doesn’t go to the floor. It shouldn’t be a reason not to consider a penalty.”
The Liverpool manager’s comments suggest that he believes Isak was unfairly disadvantaged simply because he attempted to stay on his feet rather than exaggerate the contact and fall to the ground.
🔴 IRAOLA ALSO QUESTIONS THE DECISION INVOLVING CODY GAKPO
The Isak incident was not the only moment that frustrated the Liverpool manager.
Iraola also discussed a separate penalty appeal involving Cody Gakpo, who appeared to be subjected to sustained holding inside the Arsenal penalty area.
However, the Liverpool boss acknowledged that there was an argument against awarding that particular penalty because the ball had travelled too far ahead of Gakpo, making it unlikely that the Dutchman would have reached it.
“I think it’s a sustained holding,” Iraola said.
“But I understand their argument and I think they are right that they say the ball was too long and Cody wouldn’t have arrived to the ball.”
Nevertheless, Iraola questioned the consistency of the reasoning used to dismiss the two appeals.
His argument was that if the officials were prepared to consider whether Gakpo could realistically reach the ball before awarding a penalty, they should also recognise that the shirt pull on Isak directly affected his opportunity to attack the delivery.
“But then you are basically accepting that the first one is a pen. So you cannot use the argument in both ways differently. So I think it’s a pen, the Alex one is,” he added.
For Iraola, the Isak incident was particularly difficult to accept because he felt the contact was obvious and had a direct influence on the striker’s ability to challenge for the ball.
😳 ‘WE HAVE TO TELL THEM TO GO DOWN’ – IRAOLA DELIVERS BRUTALLY HONEST RESPONSE
Perhaps the most striking part of Iraola’s post-match interview came when he was asked whether he would now encourage his Liverpool players to go to ground whenever they feel contact inside the opposition penalty area.
Rather than dismissing the suggestion, the Liverpool manager gave an unusually honest response.
He admitted that although it is unfortunate, he may have no choice but to tell his players to make their contact more noticeable by going down.
“It’s a shame you ask me this question. But honestly, yes, we have to tell them to go down because they are not going to call it otherwise.”
He continued:
“And then the referees complain why they go down. Because if you don’t go down, you don’t call it.”
Those comments perfectly captured Iraola’s frustration with the situation.
His concern is that players who attempt to remain on their feet despite being held or pulled can sometimes find themselves disadvantaged compared to those who immediately go to ground.
In Isak’s case, the Liverpool manager believes the striker’s decision to stay upright should not have worked against him. A shirt pull can affect a player’s balance, movement and ability to reach the ball, regardless of whether that player eventually falls.
Iraola’s suggestion also raises a wider question about refereeing standards in the Premier League: are players being encouraged to exaggerate contact because officials are more likely to award penalties when they see someone go down?
🔴 A FRUSTRATING AFTERNOON FOR LIVERPOOL
For Liverpool, the controversial decisions added to an already disappointing afternoon at Anfield.
Arsenal arrived knowing they had an opportunity to make history, and they left with a Premier League victory at Liverpool’s home ground for the first time in 14 years.
The Reds will naturally be disappointed with the result, but Iraola clearly feels that the officiating decisions deserve serious attention.
Liverpool supporters will also feel that incidents like the one involving Isak need to be judged on the actual contact and its impact rather than whether a player chooses to fall to the ground.
There is an important difference between deliberately diving and being genuinely pulled back while attempting to reach the ball.
Iraola’s frustration is that players should not have to make a dramatic gesture to convince officials that they have been fouled.
The Liverpool manager has now made his position clear: if staying on your feet means penalties are overlooked, then he believes his players may have to change the way they respond to contact in the opposition box.
Whether he genuinely follows through with that instruction remains to be seen, but his comments have certainly put the spotlight back on Premier League refereeing and the consistency of penalty decisions.
One thing is clear: Iraola does not want Liverpool players to be punished for trying to stay on their feet.
