Liverpool Awarded Penalty in First Half of Clash with Brighton, But Rules Suggest Pascal Gross Should Have Also Been Sent Off
Liverpool were a goal down after a sloppy start to their match with Brighton at the AMEX, but fought back for a 2-1 lead at half-time. Mohamed Salah had already converted following a brilliant flowing move to equalise, when the Egyptian was handed a chance to put Liverpool ahead from the spot. Referee Anthony Taylor belatedly awarded a penalty after Pascal Gross hauled down Dominik Szoboszlai with a pull of the shirt, with the Hungarian snatching onto a loose ball. The decision was upheld by VAR and Salah despatched the penalty, but there were questions over whether Taylor should have also sent Gross off.
It was quickly suggested that he would avoid any sanction under ‘double jeopardy’ rules. However, according to laws for the 2023/24 campaign via the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the German should have received a red card. Under laws for denying a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity, IFAB explain:
“Where a player commits an offence against an opponent within their own penalty area which denies an opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and the referee awards a penalty kick, the offender is cautioned if the offence was an attempt to play the ball or a challenge for the ball; in all other circumstances (e.g. holding, pulling, pushing, no possibility to play the ball etc.), the offending player must be sent off.”
Gross made no attempt to play the ball while he dragged Szoboszlai back via the neck of his shirt, denying the No. 8 a shot from 10 yards out. The decision comes just over a week after the uproar regarding Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat at Tottenham and the scrutiny over Premier League officials. While Taylor’s call did not impede the Reds as Salah was able to score the penalty, the fact that Gross was not even booked for his challenge is baffling.
The Laws of Denying a Goal or Obvious Goalscoring Opportunity
The laws of denying a goal or obvious goalscoring opportunity are clear and concise. According to IFAB, if a player commits an offence against an opponent within their own penalty area which denies an opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and the referee awards a penalty kick, the offender is cautioned if the offence was an attempt to play the ball or a challenge for the ball. In all other circumstances (e.g. holding, pulling, pushing, no possibility to play the ball etc.), the offending player must be sent off.
In this case, Gross made no attempt to play the ball while he dragged Szoboszlai back via the neck of his shirt. This meant that Szoboszlai was denied a shot from 10 yards out and should have resulted in Gross being sent off.
The Uproar Over Liverpool’s 2-1 Defeat at Tottenham
The decision comes just over a week after the uproar regarding Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat at Tottenham and the scrutiny over Premier League officials. The result saw Liverpool drop further behind in their title defence and sparked debate over officiating decisions during the match.
The game saw Spurs awarded two penalties, both of which were converted by Harry Kane. Liverpool felt aggrieved by both decisions, with manager Jurgen Klopp describing one of them as “not a penalty”. The result left Liverpool in fourth place in the Premier League table and raised questions about whether referees are giving enough protection to players in key moments of matches.
Conclusion
The decision to award Liverpool a penalty against Brighton was correct and ultimately did not impede their progress as Salah was able to score from it. However, it appears that Pascal Gross should have been sent off for his challenge on Dominik Szoboszlai according to laws for denying a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
This incident comes just over a week after Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat at Tottenham sparked debate over officiating decisions during the match. It raises further questions about whether referees are giving enough protection to players in key moments of matches and whether they are applying the laws correctly.