Sky reporter spotted how Mo Salah reacted to baffling refereeing decision against him | OneFootball

Mo Salah thought he might have had a penalty awarded in his favour in the opening minutes of Liverpool’s clash against Newcastle at Anfield, but Stuart Attwell had other ideas.

As early as the fifth minute, the Egyptian went to ground under contact from Lewis Hall, and a raucous home crowd (plus Arne Slot in the stands) inevitably screamed for a spot kick.

However, the referee instead gave a foul against the Reds’ number 11, believing that he shoved the Magpies defender first, and the look on the 32-year-old’s face upon learning of the whistler’s decision was one of bemusement.

Salah laughs at Attwell decision

Adam Bate has been providing updates from Anfield for Sky Sports’ live web commentary, and he spotted Salah’s reaction to the call from Attwell.

The reporter noted (20:21): “Salah even laughs as he sees a decision go against him in the box, adjudged to have fouled Hall. Not a lot in it and the defender blocked him while on the ground…”

Image via TNT Sports

Was Salah unlucky with that decision from Attwell?

Subsequent TV replays showed that Hall definitely collided with the Liverpool winger in the penalty area, and even though Attwell called it the other way, Reds fans might still have been hoping for an intervention from VAR, but it wasn’t forthcoming.

However, Salah was adjudged to have barged the Newcastle defender first, something which might’ve gone unnoticed in real-time but was picked up on a replay of the incident.

It certainly wasn’t a hometown decision by the officials, but the Premier League leaders didn’t take long to put it behind them as they hit the front in the 11th minute through Dominik Szoboszlai, who neatly tucked the ball home from a Luis Diaz cross.

It was a rare Liverpool goal without Salah officially recording an involvement, but the form he’s been showing this season suggests that it won’t be long before he’s either finding the net himself or teeing up one of his teammates to score.

He could’ve had the chance to net his 31st goal of the season in the first five minutes, if only Attwell had given that contentious decision the other way!