Liverpool fans won’t like what Mark Clattenburg has said about Brentford defeat

Liverpool’s ongoing frustrations with refereeing decisions took another turn after our 3–2 defeat to Brentford, and Mark Clattenburg’s verdict won’t ease any of the anger around Anfield.

Clattenburg defends both Brentford penalty and Gakpo decision

Speaking to TBR Football, the former Premier League referee insisted both controversial penalty calls were handled correctly.

On the moment that led to Brentford’s third goal, Clattenburg explained: “Virgil van Dijk clearly made contact with Dango Ouattara’s foot on the line of the penalty area.

“The line of the penalty area is part of the penalty area, so any contact would result in a penalty kick. First impression was that the contact was outside, but all the angles show it was on the line.”

That ruling, confirmed after a VAR review, allowed Igor Thiago to score from the spot – a decision that deepened the frustration of the reigning champions, who have now suffered four straight league defeats.

Clattenburg was also clear on the earlier incident involving Cody Gakpo, which Steve McManaman felt wasn’t a foul on our forward.

“The referee’s decision not to award a spot kick was an excellent one,” he said. “It’s clear that Gakpo sees the leg of the defender and throws himself to the ground.”

Former referee Keith Hackett had also defended Simon Hooper’s original call, arguing that the official was “ideally positioned” to make the judgement – reinforcing the view that VAR had no reason to intervene.

Liverpool’s poor run continues amid growing VAR frustration

Despite goals from Milos Kerkez and Mo Salah, the defeat marked Liverpool’s fourth successive loss in the Premier League – the worst run since 2021.

The Reds have now conceded two or more goals in nine of their last ten league matches, a worrying trend that Arne Slot must address if we’re to retain improve performances.

It’s another weekend where officiating dominated the headlines, but Clattenburg’s comments suggest that, at least by the letter of the law and in his opinion, there was little injustice to complain about.

For Liverpool, though, it feels like another case of fine margins and another game where decisions went against us at crucial moments.

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The post Liverpool fans won’t like what Mark Clattenburg has said about Brentford defeat appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.