Gary Lineker shares if Liverpool’s penalty vs Bournemouth should have been awarded

Liverpool were 2-0 victors on Saturday against AFC Bournemouth with Mohamed Salah scoring a brace for the Reds.

The Egyptian international broke the 20+ goal Premier League barrier for the fifth time as Salah once again provided the goods to help secure Liverpool to a big win, though the result wasn’t without controversy.

Away from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s ‘woeful’ performance, there was some uproar over how Liverpool’s penalty was awarded, with Cody Gakpo going down softly after Bournemouth captain Lewis Cook seemed to clip the forward unintentionally.

Although the Reds likely would have won the match anyway thanks to a legit Salah goal in the second-half and some world-class goalkeeping from Liverpool star Alisson Becker, the debate over the penalty decision has waged on, and Gary Lineker has now had his take on the matter.

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Gary Lineker says Liverpool penalty vs Bournemouth was ‘really soft’

Speaking on the Rest is Football, the pundit noted how Liverpool’s penalty was ‘really soft’, with Lineker also sharing how fouls like this are starting to be picked up more by referees despite how unintential incidents like this are from the point of view from the defender.

Lineker said: “It’s one of those, isn’t it? Obviously, there’s zero intent, he was just trying to monitor him as he was going towards the byline. His back leg did actually clip the defender’s front leg, and that caused his two legs to go together which caused him to fall down.

“I think it’s definitely one of those that if he hadn’t have given a penalty, they wouldn’t have overturned it. I understand why they gave it, and they do seem to give fouls, free kicks, and penalties for those inadvertent flicks nowadays when it’s completely unmet.

“So, I think it’s a tough one, it’s a really soft penalty, but I never really thought that VAR would turn it over. Once I saw that there was a little bit of contact that led to him tripping over his legs. It’s definitely a soft one. I don’t think he should be given penalties for that kind of thing.”

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Michael Owen agrees that Liverpool’s penalty should have stood

With Liverpool going on to win the match through a second Salah goal, the penalty has not been as heavily talked about as it would have been had the spot-kick been the only difference between the Reds coming away with three points or a draw against Bournemouth.

Yet Michael Owen is one pundit who thinks Liverpool’s penalty was legit, with the former Anfield striker strongly suggesting that football fans are not actually sure what they’re complaining about when it came to that specific foul.

Indeed, rival fans will argue that Liverpool got some luck from the officials against Bournemouth, yet with the Cherries failing to take their chances and Salah scoring a great second goal, the Reds have nothing to complain about from their side of the matter.

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