Premier League Panel Supports No Penalty for Liverpool at Ipswich

The Premier League’s Key Match Incidents Panel has backed the on-field decision not to award Liverpool a penalty in their win at Ipswich Town earlier this month.

Liverpool were 2-0 up and in control late in the first half when the flashpoint arrived. Cody Gakpo laid the ball off on the edge of the area, Abdul Fatawu slid in to block, and the pair collided as the Liverpool forward moved past him.

Referee Darren England waved play on. In the VAR booth, Nick Hopton stuck with the on-field call and chose not to send England to the monitor.

That stance has now been endorsed. The independent KMI Panel voted 4-1 that the incident did not merit a spot-kick and unanimously – 5-0 – that it did not reach the bar for a VAR intervention.

Describing it as “an unusual situation where some contact is made by Fatawu on Gakpo after the ball is laid off”, the panel felt the challenge fell short of the level required for a foul.

Their conclusion was clear: the contact was below the “high threshold” for awarding a penalty, and it was not a “clear and obvious” mistake that should have triggered a review.