Panel Backs Decision Not to Award Liverpool Penalty at Ipswich

The Premier League’s Key Match Incidents Panel has thrown its weight behind the decision not to award Liverpool a penalty in their trip to Ipswich Town earlier this month.

Liverpool were 2-0 up and cruising towards half-time when the flashpoint arrived. Cody Gakpo exchanged passes on the edge of the area, laid the ball off, and then hit the turf as Abdul Fatawu slid across to block.

Referee Darren England waved play on. No whistle, no delay, no drama on the pitch.

All eyes then turned to Stockley Park. Video assistant referee Nick Hopton took a look and opted against sending England to the monitor. No on-field review, no spot-kick.

Final Decision: KMI Panel ruled 4-1 that the incident did not merit a penalty and unanimously, 5-0, that VAR was right not to intervene.

In its explanation, the panel described it as “an unusual situation where some contact is made by Fatawu on Gakpo after the ball is laid off”.

Their view was clear. The contact, they said, fell “below the high threshold for a foul” and, crucially in VAR terms, “was not a clear and obvious error for VAR intervention”.

On a different day, with a different referee, the debate might have rumbled on. This time, the panel has drawn a firm line under it.