Liverpool’s Premier League meeting with Arsenal was overshadowed by a disputed penalty appeal after Cody Gakpo fell inside the visitors’ area at Anfield.
The incident occurred in the 29th minute of Sunday’s match, when Arsenal player Christos Tzolis placed his hands on Gakpo’s thighs as the Liverpool forward tried to reach the ball. Gakpo went to ground and Liverpool’s players immediately appealed for a spot-kick, according to Sky Sports.
Referee Andy Madley dismissed the claims and allowed play to continue. The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) then reviewed the incident but upheld Madley’s decision, meaning Liverpool were not awarded a penalty.
The decision prompted differing assessments from Sky Sports’ analysts, with debate centring on both Tzolis’ actions and whether Gakpo could have reached the ball.
Laura Hunter, Sky Sports’ reporter at Anfield, felt the Arsenal player had put himself in a difficult position with his challenge.
“Tzolis was a little naive, because he put himself in the wrong position,” she said. “The only thing that saved him was that Gakpo would not have been able to get to the ball behind the defenders, whether he was being pulled by Tzolis or not.”
Gary Neville, also working as a Sky Sports analyst, described the intervention as reckless but said it did not meet the threshold for a penalty.
“What Tzolis did was clumsy, but I do not think Gakpo would have been able to reach the ball because the defender was clearly ahead of him,” Neville said.
“I do not think it warrants a foul. Gakpo knew he was not going to catch the ball, so he decided to go to ground.”
The appeal was therefore rejected despite the protests from Liverpool players and the controversy it generated inside the stadium. The differing views focused on how much influence Tzolis’ contact had on Gakpo’s fall, as well as whether the Liverpool forward had any realistic chance of reaching the ball.
