A former Premier League referee has explained why Liverpool’s penalty against Bournemouth wasn’t overturned by video review.

Some Arsenal supporters were complaining that Lewis Cook’s trip on Cody Gakpo was accidental, with some even suggesting that the Dutchman tripped himself. Speaking exclusively to Walk On (courtesy of talkSPORT BET), ex-top-flight official Peter Walton explained why VAR kept with the on-field decision:

“Well [the rules] don’t actually specify ‘accidental’. What it does say is that players should have a ‘duty of care’ towards their opponents and that is a really an open-ended phrase because what do you mean by ‘duty of care’? I don’t know but the player, Lewis Cook, was just too tight on him and being too tight he ran the risk of an accidental collision. Well, there was a slight collision. Was it enough to topple him over? Who knows? But I think Cook was just too close to him in order to give the referee a decision to make.

“When it comes to it being an accidental collision or one that’s been deliberately made, it’s immaterial when it comes to the law because the player just has a ‘duty of care’ to make sure that contact doesn’t occur between him and his opponent if he’s not winning the ball. He clearly didn’t win the ball so the referee gave a decision that he was too close, he impacted his [Gakpo’s] ability to get the ball and he gives a penalty kick. That’s something that VAR would take into account and would not overturn because it’s subjective. I think the answer there is just don’t give the referee a decision to make.”

Gakpo was impeded

Looking back on replays, it is clear that Cook did accidentally trip Gakpo and, based on Walton’s remarks, by the laws of the game he impacted the Dutchman’s ability to play the ball.

Referee Darren England was, therefore, well within his rights to point to the spot and, due to the subjective nature of the decision, VAR could not get involved.

The win could prove crucial to Liverpool’s title challenge

Bournemouth had been in outstanding form heading into that game so securing the three points may end up being decisive in the race for top spot.

The Gakpo incident definitely played a pivotal role in the outcome of the match but it seems, by the letter of the law, the decision to give the penalty was correct.

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