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'Lucky': Arsenal get double referee verdict over Noni Madueke and Jurrien Timber incidents
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- 'Lucky': Arsenal get double referee verdict over Noni Madueke and Jurrien Timber incidents
Arsenal have been told that Jurrien Timber was "lucky" to not concede a penalty in Sunday's win over Liverpool , while Alexis Mac Allister has been labelled "embarrassing" for his clash with Noni Madueke .
The Dutchman pulled the shirt of Alexander Isak as the Liverpool striker attempted to get on the end of a cross, though Isak did not go to ground despite that contact preventing him getting to the ball.
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Referee Andy Madley waved away Liverpool's appeals and VAR did not intervene to overrule that decision.
Andoni Iraola was left bemused by the incident and revealed he will now have a very clear message for his players in the opposition's box.
He said: "The answer is you have to dive, if you don't dive they won't call it."
Looking back on the pull from Timber, former referee Dermot Gallagher suggested that the error was from the officials on the pitch rather than VAR, as he indicated a penalty should have been awarded.
Jurrien Timber (Getty)
"It depends which angle you watch it from," Gallagher told Sky Sports.
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"The first angle, you see nothing. That is the referee's angle. The second angle, which is what VAR looks at, and it is a lot more damning.
"VAR looks at it in slow motion, which is another thing against him. In normal speed, he grabs and grabs him quickly but let's go. Does he do enough [for a penalty]?
"What is Timber's intention? He is on the wrong side of him. Does he do enough to stop him? He [Isak] will say yes, as he is close to the ball.
"VAR would be accused of re-refereeing if it is a penalty. It is a case of damned if they do and damned if they don't.
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"It has to be the case of on-field. The more I watch it, the more I think he [Timber] has taken a big chance and has got lucky."
Tim Sherwood added: "I can't see where the ref is. It is a penalty. It is a nailed-on penalty.
"We have VAR to help the referee out, surely they have to help him out there. That is not re-refereeing the game."
Noni Madueke clashed with Alexis Mac Allister (AFP/Getty)
There were several flashpoints in the match, as Arsenal won at Anfield in the Premier League for the first time since 2012.
In the second half, Mac Allister went down holding his face, claiming that he had been headbutted by Madueke.
Jay Bothroyd described that as "embarrassing".
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"I tell you what I think it is, it's embarrassing from Mac Allister," Bothroyd said.
"He looks like he has taken a full blown headbutt to the nose. When he has his hands [over his face] and takes them away, I am expecting to see a nose all over the place and blood coming out of his face.
"He goes down and it's like, what are you doing? You're a grown man. I hate it when I see those sort of things in a game."
Gallagher indicated that Mac Allister came close to getting a red card himself for a stamp tackle on Ezri Konsa, where he got the ball but took a risk with the manner of the challenge.
"It is two-footed, but he gets to the ball and doesn't get the man," Gallagher said.
"If he got the man, he is in big trouble. You can't tackle like that."
