TNT Sports pundits in agreement over Cody Gakpo penalty appeal as Premier League issues clarification

Liverpool manager Arne Slot saw his side fall behind 1-0 when, just before half-time, Cody Gakpo went down in the box under a challenge from Nathan Collins. The Brentford defender appeared to make slight contact with the Dutchman but got none of the ball.

Referee Simon Hooper waved play on, and after a VAR review, the on-field decision stood. Moments later, Brentford broke forward and doubled their lead through Kevin Schade.

Premier League and pundit reactions to the Gakpo incident
At half-time, the Premier League Match Centre explained on X that VAR had reviewed the incident and agreed with the referee, stating there was no foul by Collins on Gakpo.

Speaking on TNT Sports (via Liverpool Echo), Joe Cole and Steve McManaman both backed the officials’ call. Cole felt Gakpo “went down too easily,” though he admitted Collins was “a lucky boy.” McManaman added: “As Collins puts his leg across, he doesn’t stand on his foot, and Gakpo’s already falling before contact. I agree with the referee.”

A contentious call overshadowed by a poor team performance
Slot later argued (via Sky Sports) that Gakpo’s incident was more deserving of a penalty than the one Brentford received in the second half, when Virgil van Dijk was penalized for a foul on Dango Ouattara.

Brentford also had their own complaints about Milos Kerkez’s goal just before the break, which came in the fifth minute of added time despite only three being indicated.

Both penalty decisions went against Liverpool, and while Slot’s frustration was understandable, the truth is his team were second-best throughout. Despite Mohamed Salah’s brilliant late strike, it was a dismal showing overall — full of defensive lapses and disorganization.

Brentford could easily have scored more if not for some fine stops from Giorgi Mamardashvili, and the win over Eintracht Frankfurt earlier in the week now looks less like a turning point and more like a brief respite in what’s been a nightmare month for the Reds.