Iraola says he will tell Liverpool players to go down after Isak penalty appeal

Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has criticised the officials following his side's 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at Anfield, insisting that Alexander Isak should have been awarded a penalty after being held inside the box.

The incident occurred when Isak attempted to reach a cross with a header but was visibly pulled by his shirt. The Swedish striker stayed on his feet and continued trying to play the ball, but referee Andy Madley did not point to the spot. VAR also did not intervene.

Iraola admitted that the situation could influence how he advises his players in the future, suggesting that footballers may feel they have to go to ground to convince officials to award a foul.

“It is a shame that you have to ask me this question, but honestly, yes, we have to tell them to go down, because otherwise the referees will not give you a foul,” Iraola said after the match.

The Liverpool manager added that Isak had acted honestly by trying to reach the ball rather than exaggerating the contact. In his view, the shirt pull was clear and should have resulted in a penalty.

Iraola also referred to another penalty appeal involving Cody Gakpo, arguing that the officials had applied different standards to the two incidents. He accepted that Gakpo might not have reached the ball, but questioned why the contact on Isak was not punished.

Liverpool were ultimately unable to find an equaliser and suffered a 1-0 defeat, with Kai Havertz scoring the decisive goal for Arsenal. The result left Iraola frustrated not only by his team's missed opportunities but also by the controversial decisions during the match.