Liverpool Claims First League Win Amid Controversial Penalty Decision
Liverpool’s first league win of the season came with a lingering gripe: they should have had a penalty.
At Portman Road on Friday night, Alexander Isak’s ruthless double inside the opening 10 minutes settled a 2-0 victory over Ipswich Town and finally put three Premier League points on the board for Andoni Iraola’s side. The start was electric, the control assured. The refereeing, according to a former top official, was anything but.
‘Nailed-on’ penalty ignored
Midway through the first half, with Liverpool already in command, Cody Gakpo drove into the Ipswich box and was wiped out by Abdul Fatawu. Contact was late, heavy and clear. Play went on.
For Keith Hackett, the former head of PGMOL, it was an astonishing miss.
“This is a nailed-on penalty kick decision,” Hackett told Football Insider. “The Ipswich player is so late with his foul challenge that I cannot believe that the referee has not pointed to the penalty mark.
“I understand that the PROref organisation want to see less interference by VAR. However, this non-award of a penalty kick by the referee meets the criteria for a clear and obvious error. VAR should have intervened.”
The challenge did not just escape the on-field referee. The VAR team stayed silent, despite Hackett’s view that it ticked every box for an intervention. Liverpool kept their two-goal cushion, but the sense of a missed decision will fuel an already simmering debate about how far the current hands-off approach to VAR should go.
Iraola relieved as fast start pays off
Controversy aside, Iraola finally saw the version of his team he has been demanding.
“Yes, very pleased with the win, obviously,” he said afterwards. “We needed this win and as well with the performance – especially [in the] first half we have been a very good team. We put a lot of pressure to the opposition and I think we started really strong in the game.”
The key for him was the opening spell. Liverpool had conceded early in each of their first two league games. This time, they flipped the script.
“I think that we learned, probably, the lessons from the last two games where we conceded early goals and today we didn't want this to happen, and we were really strong in the first half.”
Isak embodied that shift. Sharp from the first whistle, he punished Ipswich twice before they could settle, his brace effectively killing the contest before the half-hour mark.
“With Alex, if he's fit, if he's available, if he's in good shape, I think he will produce the numbers,” Iraola said. “My demands with Alex will not be about the goals, probably.
“It will be about other things, I will demand other things so we can play well and if we play well, we are in good positions, the goals will come. I think he has to contribute to the collective and when everyone helps, I think after the goals and the other stuff will come.”
Isak senses style taking shape
For Isak, the relief was obvious. The goals mattered, but so did the manner of the performance.
“Obviously we were waiting for the first win and we were talking about starting the game good, which we haven't done recently. That was perfect for us to get two quick goals,” he said.
“I think we're starting to get the way that we want to play and be offensive and attack the defence. I think we showed that today. We scored two and we could have scored more.
“It's still early. I think we still have a lot to learn and it's game by game at this point.”
Liverpool leave Suffolk with their first win, a striker in rhythm and a clearer sense of identity. They also leave with a question hanging over the officials and the use of VAR. If a challenge like Fatawu’s on Gakpo doesn’t trigger a penalty or a review, what will when the season’s pressure really starts to bite?
