Andoni Iraola has declared he will instruct his players to go to the floor in the future after Liverpool were denied a first-half penalty during Sunday's home defeat against Arsenal. With the Reds trailing 1-0 courtesy of Kai Havertz's opening goal, striker Alexander Isak had his shirt pulled by Jurrien Timber as he attempted to reach a cross from Bradley Barcola. The forward stayed on his feet and referee Andy Madley did not award a spot-kick, with VAR Stuart Attwell judging the contact to be a slight tug rather than a sustained holding offence.
A frustrated Iraola insisted after the match that honest attackers are effectively being punished by officials for trying to stay upright. Speaking to Match of the Day, he claimed a penalty would have been awarded "100%" had Isak fallen, adding: "The answer is you have to dive, if you don't dive they won't call it." When asked if he will specifically order Isak to go down in future scenarios, Iraola confirmed he definitely would, while noting that any potential explanation or apology from refereeing body Pro Ref is "not going to change anything."
The controversial non-call prompted significant post-match debate from pundits and former officials. Former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann remarked that Timber took a "huge risk" on a borderline decision, while Danny Murphy felt Arsenal "got lucky" during a pivotal moment in the match. Commentator Gary Neville described Isak's lack of protest as "unnatural" and an odd reaction for an attacker about to score. Liverpool also saw another penalty claim dismissed when Cody Gakpo went down under pressure from Christos Tzolis, finishing the fixture without recording a single shot on target.
Addressing the situation, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk defended his forward's conduct, questioning why players must forcefully appeal when numerous cameras capture every angle of the pitch. While Van Dijk acknowledged the decision and congratulated Arsenal on a rare win at Anfield that moved them three points clear at the top, the fallout leaves Iraola convinced that managers must alter their approach going forward to ensure blatant penalty-box fouls are properly penalised.