Andoni Iraola has confirmed he will have a quiet word with Alexander Isak after Liverpool’s defeat to Arsenal at Anfield.
The Liverpool striker should have been awarded a penalty for a clear tug on his shirt by Jurrien Timber, but didn’t go down or say anything to referee to force action.
VAR inexplicably failed to intervene as Kai Havertz’s goal was enough to secure three points for the Gunners.
“The Alex Isak one is a clear penalty,” Emery said after the game. “You hold the t-shirt; we can all see that he holds the t-shirt.
“The ball just goes one centimetre in front of Alex. Alex is going to hit the ball in front of the goal.”
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Asked if Isak needed to go down, Iraola said: “The fact that you are even asking me that he should have gone to the floor, that’s the thing. If he goes to the floor, they call the penalty for me. They call the penalty 100%.”
Asked whether he will tell Isak to go down next time: “Yes, definitely.”
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is baffled as to why Isak needed to complain or go to ground when the game is covered by so many cameras and with VAR supposedly ‘checking everything’/
“I’ve seen it back, yes,” van Dijk confirmed. “And I’ve seen it given as well on other occasions. Today it wasn’t meant to be.
“The VAR doesn’t notice it? There are 50 cameras. Even more.
“Why does he have to complain when there are so many cameras?
“It is spotted because everyone’s seen it.
“In the end, it wasn’t given and we lose the game unfortunately, so well done to Arsenal.”
‘Make something of it’
Daniel Sturridge couldn’t believe the lack of a reaction from Isak, insisting he had to “make something out of it”.
“Unfortunately, he (Isak) has not fallen over,” Sturridge said in the Sky Sports studio.
“You’re supposed to fall over, put your arms in the air and show the referee you’re mad about it.
“You’re supposed to say it, you’re supposed to make something of it, you’re supposed to put your arms up, you’re supposed to run to the ref.
“To me, his reaction is almost like ‘VAR do your job’.
“But they’ve not done their job. He shouldn’t have to make more of it – clearly, he shouldn’t.
“Everyone can see that his arm is stretched, he (Timber) is holding him with a stretched-out arm.”
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