According to a report by Football London on Monday, 2 November 2026, As the Liverpool striker tried to reach a cross inside the penalty area, the incident involving Timber seemingly yanking Isak's shirt has become a big talking point from Sunday's match.

Because Isak maintained his balance through the collision, referee Andy Madley signaled for play to proceed. The decision by VAR official Stuart Attwell not to recommend a review further infuriated Liverpool.

After that, Football London gave its readers the chance to decide whether Liverpool deserved a penalty by selecting from three options: a clear shirt pull, no foul, or an undecided vote.

Andoni Iraola, manager of Liverpool, was very displeased with the call, claiming that Isak deserved a penalty kick even though he stayed up the whole time.

The Isak one seems like a punishment to me. Just as he's about to head the ball toward the goal, they seize him at the spot where his shirt is visible to all.

I don't understand why (the reason was withheld)—perhaps because he doesn't fall to the ground or dive. According to Iraola, it is not acceptable to refuse to concede a penalty.

Moreover, Liverpool's manager raised concerns about the reliability of refereeing decisions, implying that players might be incentivized to overstate contact if officials overlook fouls committed while players are standing.

Also, he said that Christos Tzolis's and Cody Gakpo's individual penalty appeals were weaker because the ball had already gone too far for Gakpo to reach, the Liverpool forward.

After Kai Havertz scored in the 16th minute off of an error by Alisson Becker, Arsenal were able to hold on to their early lead despite the controversy.

Mikel Arteta's team displayed a well-drilled defensive performance, denying Liverpool their first goal-scoring opportunity since the Premier League started tracking such statistics in 2003.

As a result of the win, Arsenal regained their position atop the Premier League standings and won their first league match at Anfield in fourteen years.

Nevertheless, the contentious Isak incident continues to spark discussions, drawing attention to ongoing worries regarding video assistant referee decisions and the way in which shirt-pulling offenses are interpreted within the penalty area.