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Ex-refs chief: Jurrien Timber should have got 'red card' for 'clear offence' in Liverpool vs Arsenal
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- Ex-refs chief: Jurrien Timber should have got 'red card' for 'clear offence' in Liverpool vs Arsenal
Jurrien Timber could have received a red card for pulling Alexander Isak's shirt in Arsenal's 1-0 win over Liverpool on Sunday.
That is according to former head of PGMOL and FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
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The Reds had gone behind just minutes before, with Kai Havertz latching on to Declan Rice's cross to provide the difference.
Liverpool had opportunities to equalise but faded as the game went on, with several flashpoints in the final stages dominating the headlines.
Referee Andy Madley has faced huge criticism for his failure to control the game, which descended into several scuffles and moments of time-wasting as Arsenal protected their narrow advantage.
The three points were the Gunners' first at Anfield in over 14 years, and have seen them take a three-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
'Liverpool should have had a penalty kick'
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Bizarrely, it appeared that Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola was the only person at Anfield to see Timber's pull on Isak's shirt.
It had not been subtle - replays showed the Dutchman with a handful, dragging the Swede back as he stretched to get on the end of Bradley Barcola's ball.
The Liverpool man appeared to feel the tug and turned back towards Timber when the ball had gone, but he did not go down or even speak to the referee. Nor did any of his teammates.
The Anfield crowd was unmoved, too, with Madley and his assistants clearly failing to see the incident.
"Replays at halftime showed that Jurrien Timber escaped giving away a penalty kick. The video clearly shows him holding the shirt of Liverpool player Alexander Isak," Hackett told Football Insider.
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"VAR said everything was fine but the Arsenal man had a fistful of the top. The referee should have been invited to view the monitor, this was a clear offence and Liverpool should have had a penalty kick."
"Looking at that replay again, if the penalty kick had been awarded then Timber should have been red carded for the denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity," he added.
Ref Watch: Four blunders Andy Madley made in Liverpool vs Arsenal Andoni Iraola furious with penalty decision
Iraola clearly did see the incident, and was pictured imitating the shirt pull on the side line.
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"There is a clear grab of the shirt," the Spaniard told BBC Match of the Day after the game. "Alex [Isak] was just in front of him, he was going to head in front of the goal but couldn't because he grabbed the shirt.
"If he goes to the floor, they call the penalty 100%. 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."
"The answer is you have to dive, if you don't dive they won't call it."
