Dermot Gallagher raised a few eyebrows inside the Sky Sports studio when giving his verdict on a possible penalty shout in Liverpool’s Premier League clash against Brighton on Sunday.
The former top-flight official was making his customary Monday morning appearance on Ref Watch when he gave his take on the home side’s claims for a spot kick after the ball struck Virgil van Dijk’s arm inside the box.
Referee Anthony Taylor was unmoved but the incident infuriated Seagulls manager Roberto De Zerbi to the point where he was shown a yellow card for dissent.
Gallagher sided with the former, saying: “The evidence is there for everyone to see. It clearly strikes his thigh. His arm is by his side. It bounces up a few feet. It hits him, there’s no doubt about that, but you’d be absolutely stunned if a penalty was given for that.”
That verdict left the Sky Sports presenter in studio astonished, with a gasp of “Really?”.
We’re with the ex-Premier League referee on this one. As he correctly observed, the ball was hit at Van Dijk from close range and struck his thigh first before deflecting up onto his arm.
The handball issue can be a thorny one, but it would’ve been ridiculous if a penalty were given in that instance. Taylor got it right.
You can view Gallagher’s verdict on the penalty shout below, via @footballdaily on Twitter/X: