TNT Sports pundits agree on Cody Gakpo penalty shout as Premier League explanation emerges | OneFootball

Liverpool’s appeals for a penalty for a challenge on Cody Gakpo in their defeat to Brentford fell on deaf ears, much to the frustration of Arne Slot.

The Reds were trailing 1-0 when, shortly before half-time, the Dutchman went down in the box under a challenge from Nathan Collins, who appeared to make slight contact with the 26-year-old and got none of the ball.

However, on-field referee Simon Hooper didn’t blow for a foul, and VAR upheld the on-field decision, with the home side almost immediately going down the other end and doubling their lead through Kevi Schade.

What the Premier League and pundits said over potential penalty on Gakpo

During half-time, the Premier League Match Centre on X explained why the challenge on Gakpo didn’t result in a penalty, stating: ‘The referee’s call of no penalty to Liverpool was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed that there was no foul by Collins on Gakpo.’

Speaking on punditry duty for TNT Sports (via Liverpool Echo), Joe Cole and Steve McManaman both agreed with the decision, with the former claiming that our number 18 went to ground ‘too easy’, although the ex-Chelsea winger still dubbed Collins ‘a lucky boy’.

The ex-LFC and Real Madrid man chimed in: “As he [Collins] puts his leg across, he doesn’t stand on his foot and he’s [Gakpo] fallen over before the contact happens. I agree with the referee there.”

Image via TNT Sports

Debatable decision doesn’t detract from woeful Liverpool display

It’s one of those decisions which could’ve gone Liverpool’s way on another night, and Slot suggested after the match (via Sky Sports) that it was more deserving of a penalty than the one awarded to Brentford in the second half when Virgil van Dijk was adjudged to have fouled Dango Ouattara.

The Bees had grievances of their own with the officials regarding Milos Kerkez’s goal just before half-time – not because of the goal itself, but because it came in the fifth minute of stoppage time when only three were originally indicated.

The two penalty calls both went against the Reds, and the head coach’s frustration was evident after the match, but in reality the champions deserved nothing out of tonight’s game as another abject performance was served up.

Mo Salah’s stupendous late goal was in stark contrast to the overall nature of Liverpool’s display, which once again was rife with defensive porosity, and Brentford could’ve scored more than three were it not for some strong saves from Giorgi Mamardashvili.

The midweek win over Eintracht Frankfurt was sadly not the turning of a corner, but rather an isolated high point amid the month from hell for LFC.

You can view the penalty incident involving Gakpo and Collins below, via @footballontnt on X: