Michael Owen is convinced Liverpool fully deserved the controversial penalty given in their trip to Bournemouth.
Arne Slot’s men continued their charge at the top of the Premier League with a 2-0 victory at the Vitality Stadium, where Mohamed Salah netted a brace. And the Egyptian converted his first from the spot after Lewis Cook’s challenge on Cody Gakpo inside the box.
However, there’s been a heated debate about whether Cook’s contact with Gakpo was substantial enough to merit a penalty. Referee Darren England gave the spot-kick despite protests from the Cherries, putting Liverpool on course for a vital win.
While Gary Lineker expressed doubts over the legitimacy of the call, Owen had no such reservations. And he aired his views on X after watching BBC’s Match of the Day (via the Liverpool Echo): “Stayed up to watch MOTD anticipating a shocking decision to award Gakpo a penalty. It’s an absolute certain penalty. What chance have officials got if half the population think that’s not a pen?”
Meanwhile, MOTD host Lineker joined the chorus of sceptics as he questioned the apparent absence of VAR intervention in the process. And he suggested the same incident would have gone unpunished not so long ago.
“It’s one of those soft things that they give penalties for now, which would never have happened a few years ago,” he said. “It’s one of those where if he hadn’t have given it, they wouldn’t have turned it over, either.”
Stand-in full-back Cook found himself out of place and tried to chase down Gakpo. Newcastle icon and MOTD pundit Shay Given seemed to agree more with Owen’s point of view.
“When I first saw it live, I thought, ‘aw, that’s really soft.’ And I think a lot of neutral fans up and down the country will probably be thinking the same,” he said. “The last angle we’ll see, he [Cook] does clip him. I know it’s accidental, but [they’re] the laws of the game. I think it’s harsh on Cook, but I think it is the right decision… he comes across him, his left leg clips Gakpo’s left leg, and for me, it’s a penalty.”
Fellow pundit and former Arsenal defender Martin Keown also expressed sympathy and seemed to suggest he understood why the penalty was awarded.
Liverpool are now nine points clear at the summit, with second-place Arsenal set to face Manchester City on Sunday.
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