Iraola promises to tell Isak to dive after penalty denied against Arsenal

Liverpool lost 0-1 to Arsenal on Sunday at Anfield in the Premier League, a defeat that denied the Reds a chance to equalise. At the heart of the match, a penalty claimed by Liverpool after a shirt pull on Alexander Isak was ignored by the referee, a decision that sparked the anger of Andoni Iraola.

A "clear" penalty for Iraola

According to The Independent, Alexander Isak went down after a shirt pull, but Liverpool's penalty appeals were waved away. The Reds' manager, quoted by the Daily Mail and the Evening Standard, described the situation as a "clear penalty" and said: "I don't understand it." He also confirmed, per Football365, that he would have a word with Alexander Isak after the match.

In comments reported by the Daily Mail, Andoni Iraola revealed that he would tell his player to "go to ground" in the future. The website So Foot even headlines: "Andoni Iraola will ask his players to dive after the penalty not given on Alexander Isak against Arsenal." This statement comes as the Spanish coach, according to Sports Mole, equalled his worst-ever record at Anfield with this defeat.

Van Dijk and Neville's criticisms

Virgil van Dijk also criticised the officiating, slamming the use of VAR, according to the Daily Mail. Meanwhile, Gary Neville denounced a Premier League rule he deems "absurd" after Liverpool defender Milos Kerkez had to spend a minute on the sidelines following a clash of heads with Kai Havertz, according to The Independent.

The same Gary Neville also described an Arsenal player as "embarrassing" for his behaviour early in the match, according to the Evening Standard. The player in question is Noni Madueke, who was involved in an incident with Alexis Mac Allister: the Liverpool midfielder fell theatrically after contact between his head and Madueke's late in the game, according to The Independent. Jamie Carragher, for his part, called on the Liverpool player to stop such behaviour, calling the incident "ridiculous" and saying: "It has to stop," according to the Evening Standard.