We’ve seen a few strong words spoken and tweeted against Diogo Jota after his controversial penalty award.
Pat Nevin is the latest to add his voice to a choir of dissent, describing the Portuguese international’s actions to win the spot-kick as ‘grotesque’.
“The only sour note in a brilliant, open exciting game was the penalty awarded to Diogo Jota. The referees know the rules, so after close inspection the VAR agreed with the on-field decision that the faintest of touches on the striker, followed by a delayed dive, warranted a penalty,” the former Chelsea star wrote in the BBC Football Extra newsletter (via BBC Sport).
“Not only that but a yellow card for the keeper, not Jota. This tells us where the laws and the morality of the game are just now. It is little more than a charter for cheats.
“Who could blame anyone, from a player in the top leagues to a kid in the under 11s, from doing anything other than diving now?
“It was a grotesque moment in a beautiful game.”
The Merseysiders went on to convert the penalty in question, five minutes after Sven Botman had given the visitors a whiff of hope with a late goal in the second-half.
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Completely wide of the mark
It all depends massively on your viewpoint. Did the impact of Martin Dubravka’s elbow sufficiently destabilise the striker mid-run?
In our view, it did indeed. What’s interesting to note beyond that is even Newcastle’s No.1 felt a penalty was warranted.
Surely, in this particular instance, his opinion is especially valid?
We agree with Nevin that genuine dives are something that need to be utterly wiped off the face of the earth.
However, we’re disappointed to see him brand Jota a cheat from a moment that was decidedly un-grotesque.
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Another one who obviously hasn’t heard the Newcastle goalkeeper saying he did bring him down,I think all the muck throwing is down to jealousy,they were lucky it weren’t a cricket score!.
There was contact – fact.
Football is a contact sport – fact.
Jota dived – fact.
Diving is cheating – fact.