Anthony Taylor was at the centre of attention late on in Arsenal's draw to Liverpool.(Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Arsenal receive new Anthony Taylor disallowed goal referee verdict as Liverpool drama takes twist

28 Oct 2024, 11:47 by Tom Coley · football.london

Ex-Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher believes Anthony Taylor was right to call a foul on Arsenal's Jakub Kiwior late on in their 2-2 draw against Liverpool. Arsenal players were left incensed after the referee halted play and stopped any chance of a late equaliser.

Gabriel Jesus had the ball in the net seconds after Taylor blew his whistle to indicate Kiwior had fouled Dominik Szobszlai while jumping for a header. Kai Havertz was quick to win the second ball - beating Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate in the air.

The ball hit Havertz high on the arm as he leapt with Konate - and Taylor stopped proceedings just before he sent his chipped shot over Caoimhin Kelleher in the Liverpool goal. Havertz then ran towards goal having not heard the whistle, fighting Trent Alexander-Arnold in the process.

The ball hit the post, with Alexander-Arnold ending up helpless in the net. Jesus arrived to pounce, but he was left angry when he turned to realise the referee had already made his decision.

Speaking on Sky Sports show Ref Watch, Gallagher said: "I think this is something out of nothing because, if you look, the referee has clearly given a foul before that and gives a foul, I think against Kiwior for jumping against an opponent. He gives it long, long, long before the player gets the goal. He gives the first foul."

As for the foul itself, Gallagher explained the delay. "Maybe he's just run it through his mind, but that's the foul he gave. He didn't give the foul by Havertz, he gave the one by Kiwior.

"I think it's one that if the referee gives it he gives it, if he doesn't give it then there's 50-50 decisions that can go either way in games, I think that's one of them."

On commentary, fellow former referee Mike Dean said it was an understandable decision for Taylor to make. "It's more of a soft foul if anything, to be fair he's just penalised the Arsenal player," he explained. "It's probably a 50-50 call, for me. He's had a good game the referee, so I can't criticise him for that to be honest with you."

Stephen Warnock didn't agree. "The thing is with that, how many times do we see players not go for the ball, put their backside in. This player has been penalised because he hasn't made a genuine attempt to go for the ball whereas Kiwior goes in full blooded and Szoboszlai, it's a cowardly challenge isn't it.

"You're potentially hurting the player as well because of the way he's going to fall. I did not think it was a foul at all and I think Liverpool are lucky there."

Gallagher isn't buying the claims that Arsenal should have had a penalty earlier in the game either. "I think he gets the ball," the former referee said of Konate's strong tackle on Gabriel Martinelli in the first half. "I think it's clumsy but he does get the ball.

"We spoke about this earlier in the season. It's very difficult to give a penalty when he gets the ball, we saw the Matty Cash one and he felt that it was given incorrectly because he felt he played the ball before he played the man."

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