[monks data]

Attendance: 53,298

Premier League | Gameweek 3

Aug 24, 2019 at 5.30pm UK

Liverpool
3-1
Arsenal

Matip (41'), Salah (49' pen., 58')

FT(HT: 1-0)

Torreira (85')

David Luiz disagrees with penalty decision against Liverpool

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 24 August 2019

Luiz disagrees with penalty against Liverpool

Arsenal defender David Luiz claims that the referee was wrong to award a penalty for his shirt tug on Mohamed Salah during his side's 3-1 defeat at Anfield.

Arsenal defender David Luiz has disagreed with the decision to award Liverpool a penalty for his challenge on Mohamed Salah during this evening's Premier League clash at Anfield.

The deadline-day signing from Chelsea was penalised for a clear shirt tug during the opening stages of the second half, giving Salah the chance to double Liverpool's lead from the penalty spot.

Luiz also earned a yellow card for the challenge, preventing him from making a professional foul on Salah in the buildup to the Egyptian's second as Liverpool ran out 3-1 winners to maintain their perfect start to the season.

However, the Brazilian believes that he did not pull Salah's shirt with enough power to warrant a spot kick - something he claims neither the referee nor VAR took into account.

"Mo said to me he didn't feel me touch him so that's why he didn't fall down to the floor but now with VAR, you cannot see the power so it's difficult for the referees and he sees the shirt," Luiz told Sky Sports News.

"It could be a penalty every time. It is interpretation, so I think if you pull someone with power and you change his attempt to go to the ball it's different. If I put my hand like that, the power is different. So that's what I say.

"VAR is difficult for them, they cannot see the power, so if I pull him like this it's more power, so it depends on the interpretation but if you see the shirt, it's why they give a penalty. I don't judge or complain, I just say my view and it's just one second. Football is like that.

"We have to look forward. I spoke to Mo, he is my friend, and he said he didn't feel that so, but that's football. After that [penalty] he gave me a yellow so for the third goal I could not make a foul to put my team in trouble with 10 men. So I think the condition affected my game after that but like I said, the team fought until the end."

The defeat was Arsenal's first of the season as they missed the chance to win three successive matches at the start of a campaign for the first time in 15 years.