TNT Sports pundits agree on Cody Gakpo penalty shout as Premier League explanation emerges.

TNT Sports analysts concur on Cody Gakpo’s penalty appeal as an explanation from the Premier League surfaces.

Liverpool’s request for a penalty following a challenge on Cody Gakpo during their loss to Brentford was ignored, much to Arne Slot’s dismay.

The Reds were down 1-0 when, just before half-time, the Dutch player fell in the box after a challenge from Nathan Collins, who seemed to make minimal contact with the 26-year-old without touching the ball.

Nevertheless, referee Simon Hooper did not call a foul, and VAR upheld the referee’s decision, with the home team quickly moving down the field to extend their lead through Kevi Schade.

What the Premier League and analysts said regarding the potential penalty on Gakpo.

During the half-time break, the Premier League Match Centre on X clarified why the challenge on Gakpo did not warrant a penalty, stating: ‘The referee’s decision of no penalty for Liverpool was reviewed and confirmed by VAR – it was determined that Collins did not foul Gakpo.’

While providing commentary for TNT Sports (as reported by Liverpool Echo), Joe Cole and Steve McManaman both supported the decision, with Cole noting that Gakpo went to the ground ‘too easily’, although he still referred to Collins as ‘a lucky boy’.

The former LFC and Real Madrid player added: “As he [Collins] places his leg across, he doesn’t step on his foot and he’s [Gakpo] already fallen before the contact occurs. I agree with the referee on this one.”

Controversial decision does not overshadow poor Liverpool performance.

This is one of those calls that could have favored Liverpool on a different occasion, and Slot indicated after the game (via Sky Sports) that it was more deserving of a penalty than the one given to Brentford in the second half when Virgil van Dijk was ruled to have fouled Dango Ouattara.

The Bees had their own complaints with the officials concerning Milos Kerkez’s goal just before half-time – not due to the goal itself, but because it occurred in the fifth minute of stoppage time when only three had been indicated.

Both penalty appeals were against the Reds, and the head coach’s frustration was clear after the match; however, the champions truly earned nothing from tonight’s game as they delivered yet another dismal performance.

Mo Salah’s incredible late goal sharply contrasted with the overall quality of Liverpool’s performance, which was once again plagued by defensive weaknesses, and Brentford could have netted more than three goals if not for some impressive saves from Giorgi Mamardashvili.

The midweek victory over Eintracht Frankfurt unfortunately did not signify a turning point, but rather stood out as a solitary highlight during a challenging month for LFC.

You can view the penalty incident involving Gakpo and Collins below, via @footballontnt on X:

Was the referee correct in not awarding a penalty for this challenge on Cody Gakpo?