In the 42nd minute of Liverpool’s Premier League tie against Wolves tonight, Craig Pawson pointed to the spot after it appeared as though Sadio Mane brought down Conor Coady.
Liverpool academy graduate Coady, who gifted the Reds the opener with an error, went down after Mane attempted to clear the ball with a very bold overhead kick in his own box.
VAR reviewed the incident, with Pawson heading over to the pitch-side monitor to take a closer look, the replays showed that Mane actually pulled his leg away after his acrobatic effort.
Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg told Prime Video Sport that this incident didn’t warrant a ‘penalty’ at all, praising Pawson for using the technology to overturn the initial ‘incorrect decision’.
Controversy at Anfield!
Wolves are awarded a penalty after Sadio Mane is penalised for a high foot… then the referee goes to the monitor and overturns his decision!
Thoughts?#PLonPrime #LIVWOL pic.twitter.com/18NZmtfA8p
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 6, 2020
Pictures from Prime Video and Optus Sport.
Pawson deserves credit for making the right choice in overturning his initial decision and also correctly making use of the game-changing VAR technology.