Liverpool’s frustration with refereeing decisions deepened following their 3–2 loss to Brentford — and Mark Clattenburg’s latest verdict is unlikely to calm the storm at Anfield.
Speaking to TBR Football, the former Premier League referee defended both controversial penalty incidents, insisting the officials made the right calls.
Regarding the challenge that led to Brentford’s third goal, Clattenburg explained:
> “Virgil van Dijk clearly made contact with Dango Ouattara’s foot on the line of the penalty area. The line forms part of the box, so any contact there means a penalty. At first, it looked outside, but replays showed it was on the line.”
VAR confirmed the decision, allowing Igor Thiago to score from the spot — a moment that intensified Liverpool’s frustration as their losing streak stretched to four consecutive Premier League games.
Clattenburg also backed the referee’s earlier decision not to award a penalty to Cody Gakpo, despite protests from some pundits.
> “It was the right call,” he added. “Gakpo clearly anticipated contact and went down too easily.”
Former referee Keith Hackett echoed this sentiment, praising Simon Hooper’s positioning and judgment, and arguing that VAR had no grounds to overturn the on-field decision.
Despite goals from Milos Kerkez and Mohamed Salah, Liverpool’s defeat marked their worst league run since 2021, having conceded two or more goals in nine of their last ten matches — a worrying pattern Arne Slot urgently needs to fix.
Once again, officiating dominated the headlines, but Clattenburg’s comments suggest that — at least by the letter of the law — the referees were justified. For Liverpool, however, it feels like another painful case of fine margins and crucial moments slipping away.
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