Dermot Gallagher makes ‘100%’ admission on Salah controversy v Newcastle
Liverpool would have been fuming about a controversial incident involving Mohamed Salah had they not claimed a 2-0 victory over Newcastle on Wednesday.
Goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister in either half saw Liverpool move 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League table on 26 February despite not having Arne Slot on the touchline.
However, the game was more eventful than the scoreline might suggest as Cody Gakpo had a goal disallowed late in the game, while Callum Wilson missed one big chance for Newcastle.
One of the biggest talking points of the match, meanwhile, emerged in the early stages with the scoreline still reading 0-0 as Salah and Lewis Hall collided in the Magpies boss, with the former appealing for a penalty.
Stuart Atwell decision on Lewis Hall explained
While there was a VAR check to see if there was a case for a Liverpool penalty, Stuart Atwell’s decision to award a free-kick in Hall’s favour ultimately stood, much to Slot’s bewilderment in the stands at Anfield.
Putting the incident under the microscope, Dermot Gallagher explained that the decision depends on how the referee perceives the said foul on Hall.
The former Premier League referee admitted that Salah would have been “100 per cent” awarded a penalty had Atwell not whistled for a foul on Hall.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Gallagher said: “Again, this is all about the referee. He feels that Hall has been barged by Salah outside the box.
“If Stuart Attwell hadn’t given a foul on Hall, it’s 100 per cent a penalty because he’s brought Salah down.
“But the referee whistled for the first foul on Hall so a free kick for Newcastle rather than a penalty for Liverpool.”
Liverpool and Salah edges closer to glory
The incident would have been a bigger talking point had Liverpool dropped points against Newcastle.
However, the Reds increased their lead at the top of the table instead, with Arsenal dropping two more points after a 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest.
| Team | Matches | W | D | L | GD | Points |
| 1. Liverpool | 28 | 20 | 7 | 1 | 40 | 67 |
| 2. Arsenal | 27 | 15 | 9 | 3 | 28 | 54 |
| 3. Nottingham Forest | 27 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 48 |
| 4. Manchester City | 27 | 14 | 5 | 8 | 16 | 47 |
Salah, meanwhile, went on to grab the assist for Mac Allister’s goal, taking his assists tally in the Premier League to 17 this season.
This means the 32-year-old only needs four more assists to break Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne’s record for the most number of assists by a player in a Premier League season.