During a recent face-off between Liverpool and Newcastle at Anfield, football star Mohamed Salah was left bewildered by referee Stuart Attwell’s decision. Anticipating a penalty in his favour during the early stages of the match, Salah was instead penalized for a supposed shove against a Newcastle defender, a decision that left him visibly nonplussed.
Sky Sports’ live commentator Adam Bate, present at Anfield, noted Salah’s reaction to this unexpected call. As the footage was reviewed, it became clear that Salah had indeed made contact with the opposing team’s defender, Hall, in the penalty area. Despite this, Attwell’s call went against Liverpool’s number 11.
Liverpool fans were hopeful for a VAR intervention to overturn the decision, but to their disappointment, it did not materialize. Upon closer examination, it was evident that Salah had indeed jostled the Newcastle defender first, a detail that could’ve easily been overlooked in real-time but was identified upon the replay.
While the decision was far from favouring the home team, the Premier League front-runners didn’t let it deter them for long. By the 11th minute of the game, they were leading, thanks to Dominik Szoboszlai’s goal, assisted by a cross from Luis Diaz.
This goal was somewhat of an anomaly as it did not involve Salah, who has been in top form this season. However, given his performance thus far, it’s anticipated that he’ll soon be back in the spotlight, either scoring himself or setting up opportunities for his teammates.
Had Attwell’s contentious call been made in Salah’s favour, the Liverpool winger could’ve had a chance to score his 31st goal of the season within the first five minutes of the game. Alas, that was not to be.
This incident was first reported on Empire of the Kop and has been disseminated further with permission. The game continues to be a hot topic of discussion among football enthusiasts and analysts, with many debating the fairness of Attwell’s decision and its impact on the match. As things stand, Liverpool fans can only speculate about what might have been had the call gone their way.