Referee Anthony Taylor had a clear view of the incident involving Liverpool’s Jeremie Frimpong inside Arsenal’s penalty area and was well placed to make a decision.
Former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee Keith Hackett told Football Insider that there was “not enough evidence” to justify awarding a penalty at the Emirates on Thursday, 8 January. With Mohamed Salah away on international duty with Egypt, Frimpong was deployed on the right wing and troubled Arsenal’s defence on the break.
In the 35th minute, play continued as the 25-year-old fell clutching his ankle, prompting Liverpool supporters to appeal for a spot-kick after a challenge involving Piero Hincapie. However, their protests were ignored. Despite having criticised Taylor earlier in the season, Hackett praised the referee’s handling of the situation, much to the frustration of the travelling fans.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Hackett said Taylor was ideally positioned and that there was no clear proof of contact, allowing play to continue. He explained that VAR reviewed multiple camera angles to determine whether a “clear and obvious error” had been made, but no pitch-side review was requested.
In his view, the referee acted cautiously and correctly by not intervening.
While there appeared to be little contact in real time, replays showed a minor clash of ankles, though Hackett felt it was unlikely to warrant a penalty.
Liverpool may feel they were unlucky not to receive a spot-kick later in the match as well. Shortly after the restart, Leandro Trossard—already on a yellow card—came close to conceding a penalty after bundling Florian Wirtz over in the box. Gary Neville criticised the challenge as “clumsy” and described it as a needless risk, but following a VAR review, Arsenal escaped punishment once again.
Several contentious moments occurred throughout the game, but this incident was arguably the most dangerous, especially with Trossard already walking a disciplinary tightrope. Although VAR upheld the referee’s decision, debate over the calls is likely to persist long after the final whistle.
