Referee and VAR Explain Controversial Anfield Penalty as Sky Pundit Calls Decision ‘Harsh’
Liverpool’s frustrating afternoon at Anfield ended in a 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest, but one of the biggest talking points from the match was the controversial penalty awarded to the visitors in the second half.
With the scores level at 1-1, Nottingham Forest launched another attack in the 69th minute when Neco Williams found himself inside Liverpool’s penalty area. As Williams attempted to get his shot away, he went down following contact with Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker.
Referee Sam Barrott immediately pointed to the spot, much to the disbelief of Alisson and the Liverpool players. The decision was then checked by VAR, but after a brief review, the original call was allowed to stand.
Morgan Gibbs-White stepped up and calmly converted the penalty, restoring Forest’s lead and putting Liverpool under pressure once again.
However, the decision quickly became a subject of debate, with Sky Sports pundit Clinton Morrison questioning whether Alisson had actually committed a foul.
Morrison felt the contact was minimal and argued that Williams’ attempt appeared to be heading wide. He described the decision as “harsh” and suggested that Alisson was simply coming out to try to win the ball rather than deliberately taking the Forest player down.
The controversy became even more interesting when the Premier League Match Centre made the conversation between the referee and VAR public.
Barrott explained that, in his view, Alisson had come out without playing the ball and had “cleared the player out.” VAR then confirmed that there was contact between Alisson’s right hand and Williams’ left foot before telling the referee that the on-field decision should stand.
The VAR official’s assessment was straightforward: there was clear contact, meaning the penalty decision did not meet the threshold required for VAR to overturn it.
That explanation, however, is unlikely to end the debate.
Former Premier League referee Mike Dean also offered his assessment, acknowledging that there was not much Alisson could have done and describing the incident as more of a coming together. Nevertheless, Dean believed the decision was not a clear and obvious error, meaning VAR had no grounds to intervene and overturn Barrott’s original call.
For Liverpool, the timing of the penalty made the decision even more frustrating.
The Reds had already recovered from a difficult first half after Forest took the lead through Dan Ndoye. Alexander Isak eventually brought Liverpool level in the second half, scoring his first Premier League goal for the club after Cody Gakpo produced an excellent assist.
But Forest regained the advantage from the penalty, leaving Liverpool chasing the game again.
Andoni Iraola’s side eventually rescued a point when new signing Victor Muñoz produced a spectacular finish in the 82nd minute to make it 2-2.
The penalty was not the only frustration for Liverpool.
Iraola was particularly unhappy with a delay to a triple substitution shortly before Forest won the spot-kick. A malfunction with the electronic substitution board meant Liverpool’s changes could not be completed as quickly as the manager wanted. Forest took advantage of the situation, quickly restarting play before the penalty incident occurred.
Despite the controversy, Liverpool will know they have bigger issues to address after dropping points at home for the second consecutive Premier League match.
The Reds also drew their opening league fixture against Newcastle United, meaning Iraola remains without a Premier League victory after his first two games in charge.
There were positives, particularly the response after going behind twice and the impact of Muñoz, who marked his first Premier League start with a crucial late goal.
But the defensive lapses, slow start and inability to control the match for long periods will concern the Liverpool manager.
As for the penalty, the official explanation is clear: Barrott believed Alisson failed to play the ball and made contact with Williams, while VAR determined that the contact was sufficient to confirm the original decision.
Whether Liverpool supporters agree with that interpretation is another matter entirely.
With Sky pundits calling the decision harsh and former officials acknowledging that the incident was far from clear-cut, the debate over Alisson’s challenge is likely to continue long after the final whistle.
For Liverpool, though, the bigger concern is that another two points have slipped away at Anfield — and the new Iraola era is still waiting for its first Premier League win.
