Tom Cairney says referee admits Liverpool shouldn’t have been awarded a penalty against Fulham

Tom Cairney says referee Stuart Attwell admits Liverpool shouldn’t have been awarded a penalty against Fulham, yes, another VAR mess.

The Cottagers held their own for long periods against the top four-chasing Reds at Anfield, but were ultimately undone by a 39th minute spot-kick from Mohamed Salah.

That decision was made when Darwin Nunez went down in the box under pressure from Issa Diop, but replays suggest that the Fulham defender managed to avoid contact with the Uruguayan forward and that VAR intervention should have reversed a big call.

Cairney claims that Attwell conceded as much during the second half on Merseyside, with the Cottagers midfielder telling his club’s official website of a surprising admission from the match officials during a frustrating evening out on the road.

The Fulham player said: “I thought we played very well at times, but to lose to a penalty that wasn’t a penalty is always a kick in the you-know-whats.

“At the time, I wasn’t sure [if it was a penalty]. The ref made a decision, I thought he’d seen contact. I asked him on the pitch, ‘please just make sure they check it.’

“He said they checked it, but he said second half to one of our players that it wasn’t a penalty, so it’s frustrating because it goes to other people to make the correct decision.

“Issa Diop hasn’t touched him, Nunez has taken another step and then gone over, and then you lose to something like that at Anfield which is frustrating when we’re trying to climb as high as we can.”

(In brief) According to the referee, he aided Liverpool’s win tonight.

“He said they checked it, but he said second half to one of our players that it wasn’t a penalty, so it’s Frustrating because it goes to other people to make the correct decision.” – Tom Cairney #FFC pic.twitter.com/2oftqbsWiT

— Fulham FC Ghana (@FulhamGhana) May 3, 2023

Liverpool won the game from this Penalty. How is this a penalty? pic.twitter.com/tpLcJRt3fG

— TWO TERTY (@Aboa_Banku1) May 4, 2023

Player ratings (via Sky Sports)

Liverpool: Alisson (8), Alexander-Arnold (7), Konate (7), Van Dijk (7), Tsimikas (6), Fabinho (6), Jones (6), Henderson (6), Salah (8), Nunez (6), Diaz (7)

Subs: Gakpo (5), Robertson (5), Jota (n/a), Milner (n/a), Elliott (n/a)

Fulham: Leno (6), Soares (6), Tosin (6), Diop (4), Robinson (6), Palhinha (6), Lukic (6), Wilson (6), Cairney (5), Willian (5), Vinicius (5)

Subs: Kebano (5), Solomon (5), Decordova-Reid (5), Reed (5), James (n/a

Man of the match: Alisson Becker

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson: “It’s always difficult to win games in the Premier League. Five on the spin is very good. We’ve shown more consistency. We need to continue that until the end of the season and carry it on into next season too. A clean sheet is something we’ve been looking for.”

On applying pressure on the top four: “I doubt it. I think if you look at who is ahead of us, they are very good and quite far ahead.

“I think we’re just thinking about us and our performance levels. Hopefully we can be a lot more consistent when we come back after the summer.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to Premier League productions: “Very happy. Super strong opponent. I can’t respect any more what Marco [Silva] is doing there. I thought we controlled big parts of the game in the first half but in the second half it opened up. A really good team. It was tricky until the end. Five games in a row is good. I liked it a lot.

“They had a big chance so could have scored. We had moments in the first half we should have scored. That’s how it is. You have to create. I saw big fight, really good spirit and the boys who came on were flying into the challenges. Of course we can control the game in these moments better but we can improve. We have played much worse in the past.

“Alisson was close to crying with a clean sheet. It’s pretty rare for us this season! It’s very nice, especially for him.”

On building momentum: “Super important. That’s what I said. We have to try to do something we can use. Something we can build on in the next season. That’s exactly what we did and I’m pleased with that.”

Fulham boss Marco Silva speaking to BBC MOTD: “I think we deserved more from the game. We played four games in 12 days and showed our qualities in some moments of the game. Some moments I am not so pleased but we will work on. They played too much inside our block and did it often. Our first 20 minutes we were really good with the way we created opportunities. They had some chances and we did as well. After that they started to control more and pushed us back a bit more. We tried to take the space in behind. We should have pressured a little more.

“That penalty, when you lose a game in football to that penalty, is embarrassing, I have to say. When you have the referee then the VAR to help the referee, it is embarrassing.

“Great attitude from the players with a desire to work and get an equaliser. Liverpool had chances as well in the second half. I have to say again I am proud of this group of players as we showed our character and personality. We fought until the end.

“I didn’t speak with the referee. I think my players and everyone that is honest will say the same. I will listen over the next few days if it is a harsh decision but for me it is clearly not a penalty. The player is already in the air.

“Alisson in that moment did so well. It was a very good counter-attack from us. Credit to Alisson in that moment and to Willian and Carlos Vinicius to create that.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to BBC: “A clean sheet, a good performance against a strong opponent. We didn’t finish the chances off which was a little minus but the way we forced the penalty was really strong and in general there was a lot of good stuff.

“Of course we would have liked to have controlled the game better in the second half but that’s life. You have to put a shift in and the boys did that. I’m really happy about that.

“Down to them but also down to us. In a few moments we were in promising opportunities and didn’t use them. It’s not about winning 2-0, 3-0, 4-0, it’s just about winning. Mo [Salah] took the penalty in a good way so I’m pleased. Not a lot to complain about really because Fulham are a very good team and I really respect them. We have a lot to improve and we need to keep going.

“Alisson was not too busy tonight but being there in that position, he was the happiest person in the dressing room with a clean sheet. He hates 4-3 and things like this. Tonight he could save our backside and that was super important.”

On top four hopes being realistic: “No. I don’t feel it like that but it means nothing. It’s about probabilities. If Newcastle and Manchester United win all their games, we have no chance. If Brighton win all their games, they are ahead of us. That’s the situation. We just have to win our games and see where it takes us. At the moment I’m happy with our direction. We just have to keep going and in the end we’ll look at the table and take what we can get.”

More from Fulham boss Marco Silva to Premier League Productions: “I think our boys deserved much more from the game. We knew it would be tough. Without the ball we had some problems. They arrived in certain areas that we wouldn’t like to give them, the space.

“The first 15-20 minutes we were very good. After that we started to give the ball away. We created some problems and lost a bit of confidence. Overall in the game I think we deserved much more. It’s difficult to lose with that penalty. It’s embarrasing when in football you win a game with a penalty like that. A mistake from the referee, OK, but what VAR does after is really embarrasing.

“If it is not a penalty, the referee makes [a] clear wrong [mistake]. Worse, the referee in VAR made it again.

“We are going to be competitive, fight and going to play. I think we showed that this evening. It is a tough moment for our squad with injuries. Even some decisions from the referee has been tough as well but we are here to fight and to improve players. We need to correct things we did wrong this evening too. That is what we can control. We have four games to play and targets to achieve so we are going to fight for it.”

Twitter users reacted as Tom Cairney says the referee admits Liverpool shouldn’t have been awarded a penalty against Fulham…

@Magpie24_7: Fulham were ROBBED simple as and yet Turkey teeth complains every week that he is the victim. Don’t make me laugh 🤬

@JB4t00n: So the red thought it was a pen in real time. VAR checked and agreed cause there was minimal contact. At HT ref viewed it, and didn’t think it was a pen. So if he was VAR he would have over turned it? 😐 Brilliant.

@Ursy1892: It’s all to get Liverpool into the top 4. It’s totally corrupt

@DanKnox24: So the ref thought it was a penalty from his view. Fine. VAR, as pathetic as always, checks it and thinks it’s a penalty too. Not fine, wrong. Ref then sees it at half time and doesn’t think it’s a penalty. The premier league is an absolute shambles.

@Clarkeyboy12345: @FA_PGMOL this ref needs to be sacked for match fixing

@NDrinkell: Player saying that the ref told them it wasnt a penalty after it was given- surely the PGMOL will have to check the audio and if not true give the player a 48 game ban for lying?

@ChrisPage_Boz: If this isn’t match fixing I really don’t know what it 🤷🏻‍♂️ Care to explain yourselves @FA_PGMOL 🤷🏻‍♂️ #NUFC

@SCopping117: If this is actually true there needs to be some serious questions asked, and heads need to roll at the @FA_PGMOL. I just don’t understand why the conversations between officials and VAR aren’t transcribed and shared.

@Benj8764: Unbelievable tbh refs in this league get too much protection. Do your job to the correct standard. Cost us points last night.

@hutchie100: So penalty given by ref and after VAR check. Then ref says later it wasn’t a pen. What madness is this and what is the effin point of VAR? Keepin Klopp happy I guess. 🙄😡😡 #FFC #LIVFUL

@GSith85: Assume @FA_PGMOL will also take action against this player for unsubstantiated complaints about the official or radio silence as it isnt Klopp…

@fulham__pat: What a shambles this league is. Big 6 bias showing week after week and nobody in the media will say a word about it.

@davidforster88: There’s nothing to see here just a bit of match fixing

@Pritch_23: Seriously fair play for saying this, could land him in a lot of trouble but it’s slowly being exposed

@StevenNUFC: There you have it even the referee has admitted it wasn’t a penalty and the VAR check lasted 2 seconds when it should have been looked at more closely. Liverpool are clearly being helped to make the Top 4 it’s not a conspiracy it’s FACT!

@HLTCO: I am here once again to ask for referees to have the audio from their mics recorded and available for everyone to listen to after each game.