Soccer Football - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - November 6, 2022 Tottenham Hotspur's Ryan Sessegnon in action with Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold REUTERS/David Klein EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
Former top-flight referee Dermot Gallagher has given his verdict on a penalty claim for Tottenham Hotspur during their recent Premier League clash against Liverpool.Â
The Lowdown: Spurs denied a penalty against Liverpool
During the clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, the home side were denied a penalty when Reds defender Trent Alexander-Arnold appeared to have shoved Ryan Sessegnon to the ground in the penalty area, only for referee Andy Madley to wave the incident away.
The game ultimately ended 2-1 to the visitors as the Lilywhites failed to overturn the two-goals deficit put on them by half-time.
Focusing on the penalty claim, which could have had a big impact on the final result, Gallagher has since shared his thoughts on the matter.
The Latest: Gallagher’s verdict
Speaking on the latest edition of Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, Gallagher believes that Madley was right not to blow for a penalty over this particular incident.
The 65-year-old said: “I think this is a little nudge, a little lean, but certainly not a barge. I’d have been very surprised if they had come to the conclusion of penalty.”
The Verdict: Disappointment for Spurs
Antonio Conte’s side may have come away from Sunday’s match with no points but they had more attempts at goal (14 vs 13) and more big chances (4 vs 2) than Liverpool.
Some Spurs fans will have been disappointed by the decision to not get a penalty during the first half, and it could be all the more galling for them to hear that Gallagher has downplayed the incident.
Having netted a consolation goal in the second half through Harry Kane, it could be said that this penalty decision may have been the turning point in the game and led to a different result, with the incident happening when Liverpool’s lead was just 1-0.
Nonetheless, the best thing Spurs can do now is to move on from this disappointment, focus on getting through to the next round of the Carabao Cup by beating Nottingham Forest on Wednesday and then pick up a positive result in their final league game before the World Cup break against Leeds United at the weekend.
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