[ad_1]
Highlights
- Newcastle were beaten 4-2 by Liverpool at Anfield on Monday night.
- The hosts racked up a remarkable amount of chances, but their final goal has come under scrutiny.
- Diogo Jota appeared to go down late after contact from Martin Dubravka, winning a penalty for Liverpool.
Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka has revealed his honest thoughts on the penalty awarded to Liverpool in the dying stages of the Magpies’ 4-2 defeat at Anfield.
VAR controversy as Liverpool beat Newcastle
The Magpies were beaten soundly at Anfield on Monday evening, as the Reds pulled three points clear of Aston Villa at the top of the Premier League table. A pulsating clash saw Mohamed Salah miss a first-half penalty, before redeeming himself after the break and giving Liverpool the lead. Alexander Isak equalised in cool fashion, and Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo made it 3-1, before Sven Botman gave Newcastle hope with a header.
|
Premier League Top Four |
Matches |
Wins |
Draws |
Losses |
Points |
GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. Liverpool |
20 |
13 |
6 |
1 |
45 |
25 |
|
2. Aston Villa |
20 |
13 |
3 |
4 |
42 |
16 |
|
3. Man City |
19 |
12 |
4 |
3 |
40 |
24 |
|
4. Arsenal |
20 |
12 |
4 |
4 |
40 |
17 |
The game’s most controversial moment came late in the day, however, as Dubravka was adjudged to have fouled Diogo Jota, who went down a step and a half after the challenge, prior to Anthony Taylor pointing to the penalty spot. Salah then did the rest and sealed the win for Jurgen Klopp‘s side.
It is an incident that has divided opinion among supporters and pundits alike, with some feeling there was still enough contact to merit the penalty being awarded, and others feeling Jota dived due to the delay in going down. It once again put the focus on VAR, who decided to stick with Taylor’s on-pitch decision.
Dubravka reacts to Jota penalty
Speaking after the game [via The Boot Room], Dubravka reveals his thoughts on the Jota penalty incident.
“It is a frustration because he’s a clever guy. I tried to pull my arms [away] and not catch him. I felt contact but I’m not really sure what else I should do to not try and catch him. At the end it was a penalty.
“There is no point trying to argue with them,” he continued, before delivering six words on VAR, admitting “I don’t know what to say”.
This is just the latest example of VAR dominating the post-match conversation after a big game, which sadly seems to have happened far too often this season. In the past, there would be in-depth analysis of a fascinating match like the one that unfolded at Anfield on Monday night, but that is now becoming all too rare.
In terms of the penalty decision, club bias is always going to come into play, with Liverpool supporters no doubt quick to point out that Dubravka has still admitted that there was contact, and that there wasn’t enough evidence to overturn Taylor’s call.
On the flip side, Newcastle fans have a right to feel aggrieved at the manner in which Jota went to ground, especially as he was bizarrely on the verge of tapping the ball home, and the Portuguese won’t have helped his reputation when it comes to going down too easily.
Related
8/10 Liverpool star dropped his best performance of the season vs Newcastle
Establishing a three-point lead in the Premier League, Jurgen Klopp will be delighted with this “influential” star.
The problem is that VAR cannot afford to be subjective, with the technology brought in to eradicate that issue, but instead, it is riling supporters more than when it wasn’t in use. It won’t be going away any time soon, but there is certainly an argument to say that football was better before it arrived.
[ad_2]
Source link
