Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has admitted he will tell his players to go down more after they were denied what he felt was a clear penalty in their narrow 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at Anfield

Andoni Iraola conceded he will instruct his Liverpool players to go to ground more readily after they were refused what he believed was a blatant penalty in their slender 1-0 loss to Arsenal on Sunday. Kai Havertz's early strike proved decisive at Anfield, but Liverpool were left frustrated by a series of controversial officiating calls.

Cody Gakpo and Alexis Mac Allister both had penalty claims dismissed, while Alexander Isak was held back by Jurrien Timber when attempting to meet a Bradley Barcola delivery as the Reds searched desperately for a leveller.

While Iraola acknowledged why his team weren't granted a penalty for the Gakpo incident, he couldn't conceal his exasperation at the absence of a spot-kick for the foul on Isak.

"I think there are two situations and they are a little bit related," said the Liverpool head coach. "I think the Isak one is a clear penalty. He's going to head the ball in front of the goal, and they grab him where everyone sees the shirt.", reports the Liverpool Echo.

"You don't need a lot, just to avoid Alex, because the ball just goes in front of him, and I don't see the reason why, probably because he doesn't dive or he doesn't go to the floor. It shouldn't be a reason not to concede a penalty."

Make sure you never miss the latest Liverpool FC news and opinion by making Liverpool Echo one of your Google preferred sources. "And then after that the Gakpo one, I think it's a sustained holding, but I understand their argument and I think they are right that they say the ball was too long and Cody wouldn't have arrived to the ball.

"But then you're basically accepting that the first one is, is a pen, no? So you cannot use the argument in both ways differently. So I think it's a, yes, it's a pen, the Alex one is..

"It's not going to change anything if we talk to the PGMOL or not. I think we have to wait now, I think it's 10 days or 12 days until they give the resolution.

"It's going to be what it is and that's it, accept it and let's go for the next one, no? It's not going to change."

Iraola also acknowledged that his players may need to be more shrewd when encountering physical challenges in future, though he highlighted that hitting the deck too readily could equally work against them.

"It's a shame you ask me this question, but honestly, yes, we have to tell them, go down," he said. "Because they're not going to call it otherwise. And then referees complain why they go down.

"Because if you don't go down, you don't call it. Then it's like: 'No, you are all the time going down'.

"But I think Alex is honest. He tries to go for the ball, everyone can see live straight away there is a clear, clear pull.

"And even Cody in the, in the second one, but I understand the explanation that they give in the second one."