Liverpool’s 3-2 victory over Southampton on Sunday wasn’t without a few incidents which gave the on-field officials and those in the VAR booth some decisions to make.
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Roy Keane felt that Adam Lallana was fortunate to avoid a red card for a late challenge on Ryan Gravenberch, while Saints manager Russell Martin argued that his team should’ve had a penalty when Caoimhin Kelleher collided with Adam Armstrong in the second half.
The home side were awarded one spot kick, though, and it was one which prompted considerable debate as Andy Robertson fouled Tyler Dibling on the edge of the box, with referee Sam Barrott pointing to the spot and VAR finding no reason to overturn that call.
That was one of several incidents from the Premier League weekend which was discussed on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch on Monday morning, with former top-flight whistler Dermot Gallagher stating that the decision was correct as the line of the penalty area ‘belongs to the goalkeeper’.
The two in-studio pundits agreed with him, with Jay Bothroyd saying: “Robertson thought he could get there but Dibling toed the ball away and it is a penalty. The line is a part of the box which is the goalkeeper’s. I completely agree with the decision.”
Sue Smith added: “A great call from the referee. It was good work as a team from the officials.”
To be fair to the officials working on the Southampton-Liverpool game, that particular decison was a borderline one which could’ve gone either way. From one angle it appeared as though Robertson fouled Dibling just outside the penalty area, but from another it looked to be on or marginally over the line.
With a call like that, it’s easier to accept it going against you than a blatant error from the referees, and Kelleher was unfortunate to have made the save from Armstrong’s penalty, only for the rebound to be fired past him for the Saints’ equaliser.
In the interests of balance, we’d argue that the Reds may have gotten away with the incident which infuriated Martin, although Lallana could easily have been sent off on another day for his foul on Gravenberch.
It was a day where both teams may have felt that some calls unfairly went against them, but thankfully from a Liverpool perspective, they rode out the literal and metaphorical storm to come from behind and claim all three points at St Mary’s.
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