Panel Backs Decision on Liverpool’s Penalty Appeal at Ipswich

The Premier League’s Key Match Incidents Panel has endorsed the on‑field call not to award Liverpool a penalty in their win at Ipswich Town earlier this month.

Liverpool were 2-0 up and in full control late in the first half when Cody Gakpo burst towards the edge of the area. Abdul Fatawu slid in, attempting to block, and Gakpo went down as the ball was laid off. Referee Darren England waved play on, and VAR Nick Hopton chose not to intervene.

That sequence has now been formally reviewed. The KMI Panel voted 4-1 that the incident did not merit a spot-kick, and unanimously – 5-0 – that there should be no VAR review.

In its explanation, the panel described it as “an unusual situation where some contact is made by Fatawu on Gakpo after the ball is laid off”. The members concluded that the challenge did not reach the “high threshold” required for a foul and were in complete agreement that the decision on the field did not amount to a clear and obvious error.

On a weekend when every marginal call is dissected from every angle, this one, in the eyes of the league’s own reviewers, was judged to be firmly in the referee’s favour.