Arsenal fans were confused after believing they should have received a penalty in the first half against Liverpool. Bukayo Saka gave Arsenal an early lead by skillfully getting past Liverpool’s left-back Andrew Robertson and scoring a powerful shot into the top corner just nine minutes in. However, Liverpool equalized shortly after, with Virgil van Dijk heading in a corner from Trent Alexander-Arnold, silencing the home crowd. Just before halftime, Declan Rice’s precise free-kick found Mikel Merino, who scored to lift the home fans’ spirits.
Despite a strong first half, Arsenal supporters felt a penalty should have been awarded. Around the 30-minute mark, Gabriel Martinelli was in the box when Alexander-Arnold challenged him, and Ibrahima Konaté appeared to trip Martinelli afterward. Referee Anthony Taylor, however, waved off the claims, leading to reactions on social media.
One fan expressed, “19 out of 20 teams would get a penalty, except Arsenal.” Another stated, “The game is finished.” A third said, “I’ve never seen a more obvious penalty; Konaté clearly fouls Martinelli without touching the ball, and Trent is right there. What is going on?” A fourth added, “Obvious penalty, but it’s Arsenal, so play on.”
Even Manchester United fans chimed in, referencing their own late penalty concession in a recent match against West Ham. One United supporter remarked, “That’s a penalty for Arsenal, but it won’t be given because it’s Liverpool, not Manchester United. Tough luck, Arsenal.”
Excitement at the Emirates quickly shifted to concern when centre-back Gabriel was substituted due to a suspected injury, leading to Jakub Kiwior coming on to partner Ben White, who was already filling in for the suspended William Saliba. The extent of Gabriel’s injury is still unclear, and Mikel Arteta is expected to address it after the game.
In response to the penalty appeals, the Premier League released a statement through its Match Centre X account, clarifying that the referee’s decision not to award a penalty for the challenge by Konaté on Martinelli was reviewed by VAR, which confirmed that Konaté had won the ball.
