Liverpool wanted a spot-kick when Jurrien Timber grabbed Alexander Isak's shirt, but was the Reds' anger justified or did the contact fall short?
Arsenal may have ridden their luck at Anfield. A debate is raging over whether Liverpool should have been awarded a penalty after Jurrien Timber appeared to pull Alexander Isak's shirt inside the box.
The Reds felt they had a strong case. Isak was looking to turn and attack the ball when Timber's grip seemed to disrupt him, and the home side wanted the referee to point to the spot. No penalty came, and the call has split opinion among pundits.
The argument against Liverpool is the familiar one. Strikers and defenders tug each other constantly at set pieces and in open play, and officials often decide the contact wasn't enough to change the outcome. Supporters of that view say Isak could still have played on and that the pull wasn't decisive.
The counterargument is just as familiar. A shirt pull is a foul whether it's a gentle tug or a full yank, and if it affects a forward's balance or momentum in the area, it can be punished. Seen that way, Arsenal got away with one, and Liverpool have every right to feel hard done by.
In matches between two title-chasing sides, one marginal decision can shape the story for weeks. This one will keep fans arguing until the next big talking point arrives.
