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Andoni Iraola has fumed over Alexander Isak not being awarded a penalty for a shirt pull in Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, claiming that players “have to dive” to get referees to take action.
Liverpool were beaten by Arsenal at Anfield for the first time since 2012, with Kai Havertz’s early goal proving the difference.
The hosts fought breathlessly to find an equaliser which didn’t come, but they were left frustrated after having two penalty appeals waved away by referee Andy Madley in the first half.
Cody Gakpo was left furious after going down under the challenge of Christos Tzolis, though the more convincing claim saw Isak pulled back by Jurrien Timber in the box, despite the Swede not actually appealing for a spot-kick himself.
Liverpool manager Iraola told BBC Sport: “There is a clear grab [of] the shirt. Alex [Isak] was just in front of him, he was going to head in front of the goal but couldn’t because he had the shirt. I don’t understand why they didn’t call it, probably because he has not gone to the floor.
“I think the Gakpo one was not a penalty but the Alex one he was going to head the ball in front of the goalkeeper. He grabbed the shirt. I don’t understand why it wasn’t called.
“You have to dive, if you don’t dive they won’t call it.”
Expanding on the incident further in an interview on Sky Sports, Iraola said that he would encourage Isak to go down in future in order to win a penalty.
“That’s the problem we have with the game,” he added. “Because he doesn’t dive and go to the floor. The fact that you are even asking me if he should go to the floor, if he goes to the floor, they call the penalty 100 percent.
“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.”
Mikel Arteta said he had not watched the incident back in his post-match interview but insisted this did not mean he had no comment.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk echoed his manager’s outrage and branded the challenge as a “clear penalty”.
“I’ve seen it back and I’ve seen it being given. Today it wasn’t meant to be,” he told Sky Sports.
“We have 50 cameras. Why does he have to complain when there are so many cameras? Everyone has seen it. In the end it wasn’t given and we lose the game unfortunately, so well done to Arsenal.”