Salah ‘didn’t dive for Reds’ penalty’
LIVERPOOL forward Mo Salah has escaped a two-match ban with a Football Association panel determining that he did not dive to win a penalty against Newcastle United
Less than two minutes into the second half of the Magpies’ 4-0 defeat at Anfield on Boxing Day, referee Graham Scott awarded the home side a spotkick after Salah went down in the area under pressure from Paul Dummett.
And, while the Newcastle defender was backtracking to catch up with Salah, who had gone past him, and though the Welshman did stick out an arm, the Liverpool forward’s theatrical fall to the ground was what ultimately convinced Scott to point to the spot.
Rafa Benitez was left angered with the decision and stated during his post-match Press conference that the spot-kick changed the complexion of the game, given that it allowed Salah to double Liverpool’s lead - and from that moment on Newcastle were chasing the match, and were therefore left more exposed. A visibly-frustrated Benitez said: “A soft penalty changed everything, and now I have to explain why we conceded four goals.”
An FA panel - made up of a former player, an exmanager and a retired official - convened on Thursday to decide whether Scott was influenced by Salah’s fall to the ground. But they failed to unanimously determine that there was “clear and overwhelming evidence that the player intentionally deceived the match officials”, meaning Salah avoided the two-match suspensions which were handed out to West Ham United’s Manuel Lanzini and Everton’s Oumar Niasse last season for similar incident.
However, even if Salah had been retrospectively handed a suspension, it would have come as little consolation to Benitez, or to Newcastle’s players and fans.
It seems unlikely that the Magpies would have avoided defeat against unbeaten Premier League leaders Liverpool regardless, given that they were already 1-0 down, but the final scoreline may not have been as damaging to United’s goal difference if the penalty had not been awarded.
Had Salah been forced to miss Liverpool’s upcoming games against Arsenal and Manchester City, then that would have been of no material benefit to Newcastle’s fight against relegation.
That is why it is essential Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology is introduced next season, so that incorrect decisions can be overturned during matches - and therefore actually help the team who is affected by those calls. Benitez demanded that VAR be introduced “now” following the Magpies’ 2-1 home defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this month, when Ayoze Perez received a clear elbow to the fact from Willy Boly, but neither a penalty nor a red card was awarded.
Perez also saw a goal wrongly disallowed for offside at Huddersfield Town in mid-December, while Newcastle were not awarded a penalty for a clear handball at Old Trafford back in October, either, when they were 2-0 up.
United have been fortunate not to be penalised for certain incidents, but at least VAR will help to provide greater clarity given that incidents can be reviewed during matches.
And, while the Premier League must wait until the start of the 2019/20 campaign for VAR to be introduced, St James’ Park will use the technology in a live match situation for the first time next month when Newcastle host Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup.
FA PANEL DECIDES POOL STAR DID NOT DECEIVE REFEREE FOR SPOT KICK
A soft penalty changed everything, and now I have to explain why we conceded four goals Rafa Benitez