Andoni Iraola has said he will instruct his Liverpool players to go down more under contact after they were denied what he considered a clear penalty in Sunday's 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at Anfield.
Kai Havertz's early goal proved decisive, but Liverpool were left frustrated by several contentious refereeing calls. Cody Gakpo and Alexis Mac Allister both had penalty appeals waved away, while Alexander Isak was pulled back by Jurrien Timber as he tried to meet a Bradley Barcola cross.
Iraola's frustration over Isak pull
Speaking after the match, Iraola said he could understand why his side were not awarded a spot-kick for the Gakpo incident but voiced clear frustration over the pull on Isak.
"I think the Isak one is a clear penalty. He's going to head the ball in front of the goal, and they grab him where everyone sees the shirt," said the Liverpool head coach. "You don't need a lot, just to avoid Alex, because the ball just goes in front of him, and I don't see the reason why, probably because he doesn't dive or he doesn't go to the floor. It shouldn't be a reason not to concede a penalty."
On the Gakpo appeal, Iraola added: "I think it's a sustained holding, but I understand their argument and I think they are right that they say the ball was too long and Cody wouldn't have arrived to the ball. But then you're basically accepting that the first one is a pen, no? So you cannot use the argument in both ways differently."
Players told to go down
Iraola acknowledged that talking to the PGMOL would not change the outcome, noting that a resolution could take 10 to 12 days. "It's going to be what it is and that's it, accept it and let's go for the next one," he said.
The head coach conceded his players may need to be more savvy in future, while pointing out that going to ground more often could also count against them. "It's a shame you ask me this question, but honestly, yes, we have to tell them, go down," he said. "Because they're not going to call it otherwise. And then referees complain why they go down."
He added: "But I think Alex is honest. He tries to go for the ball, everyone can see live straight away there is a clear, clear pull. And even Cody in the second one, but I understand the explanation that they give in the second one."
