Yeah, this whole “sustained” holding thing is bollocks.
But even by that interpretation I would argue that Timber’s pull on Isak easily met that definition. It wasn’t just sustained (which I think is the wrong qualifier), it was material (which I think is the more appropriate qualifier if one is even needed).
It was enough to stop isak making forward momentum, which is defined to the eye by the tightening of the shirt to the torso and that he seemed to attempt a forward headed movement but didn’t propel forwards.
Penalty.
My mate, the porto fan, said he felt it could also have been DOGSO.
Oh, it absolutely was and wouldn’t have had the double jeopardy protection because it wasn’t a challenge for the ball.
He was lucky to get away without a booking for the first one. But had he been given a red everyone would have been stunned, and the only reason there is any discussion about the second one is because people are imagining if he’d have been in trouble in the imaginary situation in which he already had a yellow. It is so down low on the list of issues related to how the refereeing impacted the game that the only reason to raise it is to bring a false sense of balance to the conversation.
Im sure people are sick of me saying it, but I hate the way “the game” falls in line calling these headbutts and justify the red cards that inevitably come from them. Neither Bentacur nor the Brentford lad “headbutted” the opponent, but if this is the way “the game” sees it then I have to accept that my personal feeling should not impact what the ref does in these situations.
But we cannot hold that line and then criticize Mac for what he did or excuse Madueke. Lets remember here as well that Noni himself was already on a yellow so the ref did the only thing you can do in that situation - he booked a different black player
I am not getting into an argument. I have my belief and you have yours. I’d prefer to just get along with my fellow supporters rather than have tension of any kind 
The last line of @Limiescouse response here is a very important part of this discussion. And it happens regularly.
People complain about decisions effecting Liverpool, then others feel duty bound to equalise the situation by hunting for when we “get away” with something. Usually those attempting to equalise are clutching at tenous straws.
The Nyoni was lucky not to get red yesterday is seriously flawed.
What the modern interpretation tries to account for is the reflex to put your hands up when someone runs by you and allows for a certain degree of “hand fighting”. There was a really great example of this in the first half between Noni and Kerkez with them both chasing the ball back towards our corner flag with them both trying to reach across the other one to earn the advantageous body position. A strict “no pulling” approach would see that blown as a free kick, but youd have to toss a coin to figure out which one to penalize and ultimately no one would want to see that sort of battle removed from the game. So what the current formal guidance does now is exactly as you describe, it tries to lay out factors that would contribute it to having a material and unfair impact on the held player being able to get to the ball. They look at how mutual it was, how extended a period of time, and most of all how likely was the held player to be able to play the ball without the holding. This latter one is the main argument for not giving the pen for the timber hold on Alexis a little later. But there is no interpretation of the Isak one that justifies not giving it. And given that holding is not one of the exempted fouls in the box, giving that as a pen would also mean a red for Timber.
They are never from down south. There was an article in the Athletic (can’t find it just now) that pointed out that no referee from London or the South East has been allowed into the Premier League since 2001.
PGMOL is a very weird closed shop, and the lack of diversity does raise suspicions for most fans.
Now let’s watch the Arses in the next few games…if someone even puts his head against Madueke..let’s see his reaction…bet it’s fall to the floor, roll around 3or 4 times, get your teammates to arang the player and the ref…and there you have either a red, or a pen…cneaky, snidey cheats..
They all do it already. Gabriel fell to the ground yesterday clutching his face after nobody had even touched him.
And this is the sad thing, Kerkez had to go off for a minute due to getting a whack in the head and staying down and then you get this in fact oddly Macallister didn’t.
There was a yellow card issued over the Mac Alister incident so that rule doesn’t apply. However, Kerkez was back to his feet before the game was stopped. I can’t remember if he received treatment on the pitch, but he hadn’t requested it.
Still he got a nasty knock.
It’s utter bollocks rule.
What would it take for you to change that opinion? A referee leaping like a salmon to plant a header past Alisson?
A simple question. Can you remember the last time a contentious decision went in Liverpool’s favour and resulted in us winning the match as opposed to not winning it?
Unfair question for someone with my memory!
i recall denis irwin getting sent off for trying to keep the ball in play for the scum . think we drew 2-2 possibly. Might have won 2-1.
Oh yeah of course TWICE! 
I think you’ve just proved my point.
no. you asked a person with a fairly decent long term stored memory… but a failing short term memory to pick out the finer details of a football match from recent history.