Danny Murphy has given his view on the penalty controversy in Liverpool's defeat to Arsenal, and has expressed sympathy for referee Andy Madley after Alexander Isak was denied

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has expressed sympathy for referee Andy Madley, and feels he should have been helped out by VAR for the controversial penalty call made during the Reds’ defeat to Arsenal.

Andoni Iraola’s side fell to its second defeat of the season as Kai Havertz’s first-half goal secured the defending Premier League champions a first win at Anfield since 2012.

The game was not without its controversy though, and Liverpool feels it should have been given the chance to level the scores from the spot before half-time following Jurrien Timber’s pull on Alexander Isak’s shirt, which went unpunished.

Television replays clearly showed Timber tugging Isak back as the Liverpool striker tried to get his head on Bradley Barcola’s cross. It’s not clear whether Madley, the on-field referee, saw the infringement, but VAR official Stuart Attwell decided against intervening.

The majority of pundits, including Jamie Carragher and Ian Wright, have all agreed that Attwell should have awarded a penalty, and Murphy believes Madley was let down by his fellow official.

“I think they got lucky, Arsenal,” Murphy said on the BBC’s Match of the Day. “I think if Isak maybe makes a bit more of it, he gets it.

“I feel for the referee because obviously it’s happened so quickly. I thought there was enough for VAR to get him to go and have a look and at least give him another chance.”

Fellow pundit Micah Richards added: “I think it should’ve been given on-field, but when it wasn’t given on-field, I didn’t think they were going to overturn it.”

Murphy then concluded: “That’s why you’ve got the manager saying he should’ve made more of it, because if he’d made more of it, maybe on-field he would’ve given it.

“I hate to see players exaggerate stuff, but that there - he’s going to score. I think it’s a big moment in the game.”

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The incident has led Iraola to suggest he will advise Isak to go to ground in the future should another similar incident arise, with the Liverpool boss unhappy with the VAR’s decision not to get involved.

"That's the problem we have with the game, because he doesn't dive and go to the floor,” Iraola said.

"The fact that you are even asking me if he should go to the floor, if he goes to the floor, they call the penalty 100 per cent.

"It should be like this but it is what it is. Next time, the managers should tell Alex to go to the floor, otherwise they won't call it."