Panel says shirt pull on Isak should have been a penalty

The KMI Panel ruled that the shirt‑pull on Isak ought to have resulted in a penalty and also flagged a further VAR mistake that occurred on 31 October in the match between Ipswich and Hull City.

Two panel members argued that the subjectivity of judging impact justified non‑intervention, yet the majority described the incident as a clear and obvious error by the VAR. The panel voted unanimously that Timber’s challenge did not merit a red card for denying an obvious goal‑scoring chance, and it noted that Isak stayed on his feet throughout the episode.

After the game, Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola told BBC Match of the Day: "There is a clear grab of the shirt. Alex was just in front of him. He was going to head in front of the goal, but couldn't because he grabbed the shirt. If he goes to the floor, they call the penalty, 100%. It should be like this, but it is what it is. Next time, the managers should tell Alex to go to the floor, otherwise they won't call it. The answer is you have to dive. If you don't dive they won't call it."

The panel further concluded that Ipswich should have been awarded a penalty when Nobel Mendy held back Dara O'Shea at a corner. Referee Peter Bankes failed to see the infringement and VAR Neil Davies took no action. The contest was level at 0‑0 at the time; Ipswich soon took the lead and the encounter finished 2‑2.