Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo is facing calls for a suspension from a former top official after winning a contentious penalty during Saturday's Premier League clash with Burnley at Anfield. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, but the major talking point was a first-half incident that has sparked accusations of 'cheating'.
Controversial Call Sparks Outrage
The flashpoint occurred with the score at 0-0. Gakpo went to ground under a challenge from Burnley midfielder Florentino Luis, and referee John Brooks pointed to the spot. However, replays suggested minimal contact, leading to an immediate backlash from fans and pundits alike.
Justice appeared to be served in the eyes of the Burnley supporters when Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai stepped up and smashed his penalty against the crossbar. The Reds did eventually take the lead just before half-time through a goal from German playmaker Florian Wirtz, but Marcus Edwards's second-half strike secured a valuable point for the relegation-threatened Clarets.
Former Referee Calls for FA Action
The debate intensified when former FIFA referee and ex-head of the PGMOL, Keith Hackett, launched a scathing critique. Speaking to Football Insider, Hackett labelled the incident a dive and demanded retrospective punishment.
"This is a dive, and not a very good one," Hackett stated. "No way is this a penalty, and it’s not even a clever one. This is why I’ve said we need a panel on a Monday, with a view to suspensions for players trying to cheat. We all want to win, but let’s win properly."
Hackett also questioned the match officials and the VAR process for failing to overturn the on-field decision. Burnley manager Scott Parker echoed the sentiment, describing the award as "soft" but acknowledging that such calls are rarely overturned once given.
Fallout and Future Implications
The incident has reignited the perennial debate about simulation in football and the effectiveness of VAR in eradicating it. Hackett's proposal for a post-match review panel with the power to ban players for clear acts of deception is a direct challenge to the current disciplinary system.
For Liverpool, the dropped points at home were a frustration in their title pursuit, while Burnley will take great heart from their resilient performance. Yet, the long-term consequence could extend beyond the league table if calls for a stricter approach to punishing simulation gain traction within the football authorities.
The focus now turns to whether the Football Association will review the incident and consider implementing the kind of independent panel advocated by one of the game's former most senior referees.
