Doesn’t matter. You don’t get to impede someone without getting the ball. Alisson’s been conceding penalties over this a lot as well.
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The ball bounces away from Jota, he doesn’t touch it. Sees it out of reach and runs into the keeper. Sort of thing we’d all be pissed off about if it were given against us.
We got a lucky decision, doesn’t happen often so may as well enjoy it. Don’t see the point in acting like it wasn’t lucky though. If a certain other Portuguese forward had won that pen we’d all be fuming
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Yup. See your point.
We’ve had many against us, like DCL from Lovren a few years back. Was a dive, softer than butter in the microwave. Yet, all the talk was Lovren put his hand (or was it fingertip) on Calvert-Lewen, which gave the ref a decision.
Nice few games from a winning perspective for us while Sadio, Mo and Keita are away.
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Disagree. Often it’s the lack of an outlet that leaves us vulnerable, because even if you do what Thiago does and try to dribble your way out, you end up running up against another dead end anyway and give the ball away.
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I thought Jota’s move toward the goalie was really forced to avoid getting kicked in the shoulder from behind by the defender.
Goalie slid out nowhere near the ball and ultimately took Jota down. Probably was 50/50 pen, and var really continues to be a random number generator as I’d agree clearer pens have not been given.
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But by the other token, you dont get to go out of your way to initiate contact with a defender as a means of being taken out and have it be a foul. I mean this season refs are under direct direction to watch out for that and not call it. I think it’s a genuine debate over whether that is what Jota did. I can understand people saying yes.
Disagree, he quite clearly is looking for the ball.
I did, and have been pissed off at Alisson for conceding that.
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Some ya win…some ya don’t…our turn today…
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Looking directly at the keeper as he steps into him then looks at the ball.
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There is an argument to be made both for giving and for not giving the penalty. There was contact and as soft as it might have been, there have been many penalties far worse than that given.
What isn’t contentious is our second goal. Firmino was offside and went for the ball. It should have never stood.
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We looked unbeatable for 40 minutes and then we looked very beatable, I think it was mainly down to tiredness after playing the arse off the pitch for 97 minutes only 3 days earlier. The high line really is a massive gamble and mostly works but it don’t half set the heart fluttering at times. Don’t know why we don’t beef up midfield in situations like today go 442 and control the game. Great to get the 3 points and not drop any without our Afcon stars, onwards and upwards.
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That being said, I cannot emphasise enough that we have a CM problem looming in the near horizon. Milner’s leaving at the end of the season, Hendo’s regressed,Keita is semi-permanently crocked.
Thiago’s injury record is close to keita and time is not on his side being in his 30s but consistently stablises the midfield.
Elliot can be the RCM. However, I’m afraid that Curtis Jones’ current level is not even a third of a young Steven Gerrard or Thiago Alcantara. That is the need we need to address.
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Not interfering with play as defenders are in natural positions and not affected by presence. Doesnt touch the ball. If firmino is offside there then Eduoard is offside for the run he makes when the initial through ball is played for his goal.
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But how do you explain the increase in ball retention and ball-winning when Thiago is around?
Harry Kane disagrees with you good Sir
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I’d agree, but I just went back again to watch the replay that the referee got, both in the slow-motion of the actual contact, and in the lead up to the contact. What people are seeing is that Jota is travelling towards the keeper, having slightly changed his motion from his run in. However, he typically does that anyway because he would take the ball down with his left foot in that changed direction to run in on goal. What happens is that he changes direction to do that, realises he’s lost the ball, and then sees the keeper charging at him.
If you then look at his motion in the slow-motion replay, you’ll see that he’s bouncing off his right to try to chase after the ball, in fact taking him away from the keeper, but he gets taken down anyway. Which is why I don’t buy the whole “he’s trying to buy a penalty” talk.
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See my explanation below. That’s a very cherry-picked moment out of context of the entirety of what was going on in that play. In fact, if you look at his legs, he’s quite visibly trying to change direction to run after the ball instead, just as he gets taken down.
Isn’t it arguable that this is a more direct interference than Eduoard’s? The goalkeeper might have focused his attention more on Oxlade-Chamberlain had Firmino not been interfering with play there.
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No poll yet but MotM to Alisson who was the difference between us winning and losing that one. However, I haven’t been that tense watching a game for ages. Even at 2 up it felt precarious.
Not sure about the penalty. They seemed to run that past every angle and I initially thought it was a kick on Jota’s chest that was the offence. I’ll take the goal and the three points. Not a bad scoring run for Fabinho is it?
This is the last of our games affected by AFCON. we had two cup ties and two league matches and we won the lot. I’m hoping that the 2 week rest will work in our favour rather than be a loss of momentum.
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Cherry picked moment of when he chooses to step into the keeper while directly looking at him? Ok
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