Iraola criticises penalty decision after Isak shirt pull against Arsenal

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola said he would instruct his players to go down after Alexander Isak was denied a penalty during Sunday's defeat by Arsenal, according to BBC Sport. His comments followed a first-half incident involving Jurrien Timber, with Liverpool already trailing to Kai Havertz's opening goal at Anfield.

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Isak was attempting to meet Bradley Barcola's cross when Timber pulled his shirt. The striker remained standing, and referee Andy Madley allowed play to continue without awarding a penalty. Stuart Attwell, the video assistant referee, decided the tug did not justify overturning that decision. Isak subsequently spoke to Timber but did not appeal to Madley.

Speaking to Match of the Day, Iraola argued that the pull prevented Isak from heading the ball in front of goal. He said he believed a penalty would have been awarded had the forward fallen. The Liverpool manager repeated that position in comments to Sky Sports and at his news conference, describing Isak as honest for trying to reach the ball rather than going down.

BBC Sport reported that the incident was regarded as minimal contact and a brief shirt tug rather than sustained holding. Former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann told the broadcaster that Timber had taken a significant risk and that a penalty could have been awarded on another occasion. Cann described the incident as borderline, with differing interpretations possible over whether the holding was sustained.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk questioned why Isak needed to complain when multiple cameras could show the incident. Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy also disputed the outcome on Match of the Day, saying he believed VAR had enough reason to ask the referee to review it. Those assessments did not change the decision, and Arsenal went on to win.

Liverpool also had a separate penalty appeal rejected when Cody Gakpo went down under pressure from Christos Tzolis. Iraola acknowledged that any subsequent apology from the refereeing body would not alter the result. His criticism centred on whether remaining upright had counted against Isak, while the reported explanation for allowing play to continue concerned the degree and duration of the contact.