Fans have argued that Mohamed Salah’s late penalty for Liverpool against Burnley should have been disallowed, but Premier League regulations help clear up the confusion.
Liverpool kept their perfect record intact in their title defense with a stoppage-time win at Turf Moor over Burnley.
The match was scoreless for nearly the entire game, suggesting a draw was likely. Burnley was reduced to ten men late on after Lesley Ugochukwu received a second yellow card.
The crucial moment came in injury time when Burnley substitute Hannibal handled a cross from Jeremie Frimpong, leading referee Michael Oliver to award Liverpool a penalty. Salah calmly converted the spot-kick, securing three points for the reigning champions, who remain top of the Premier League after four matches.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Salah said: “It was a tough opponent today, and we worked hard to find spaces between the lines. It was difficult, but I’m glad we managed to break through. We have some new players in the starting lineup, so it takes time for them to adjust to our style, but we try to build their confidence. We never give up and push ourselves fully as a team.”
Liverpool manager Arne Slot added: “I felt really bad because after 90 minutes I was shocked to see how much added time there was. I was still surprised when we got the penalty, as five minutes of injury time seemed excessive. But then I was happy when Mo scored.”
However, some fans argued that Salah’s winning penalty should have been disallowed due to player encroachment in the box before the kick.
Before Salah took the penalty, Frimpong was clearly inside the penalty area, leading some supporters on X (formerly Twitter) to claim the goal shouldn’t have counted.
One fan commented, “I didn’t know players were allowed in the box before the penalty is taken.” Another wrote, “Liverpool get whatever they want, I guess.” A third said, “Liverpool, the league, and PGMOL all belong together. Just stay quiet and let them have it.”
Despite these opinions, those who believe the goal should have been canceled are mistaken according to Premier League rules.
Although Frimpong was in the box when the penalty was taken, he did not affect the outcome. The Premier League guidelines say a goal can only be disallowed for encroachment if the player materially influences the kick’s result, which was not the case here since Salah scored successfully.
The rules specify: “To penalize encroachment, the player must have a material impact on the kick’s outcome. For example, a defender preventing a goal or affecting an opponent’s ability to play the ball. If the encroacher has no impact, there is no offense.”
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