Gary Neville gives Liverpool penalty verdict as Virgil van Dijk left furious vs Arsenal

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Gary Neville defended the decision not to award Liverpool a late penalty against Arsenal, insisting the VAR call was correct despite furious protests from Virgil van Dijk and his teammates. The incident came in a high-stakes Premier League clash at Anfield, with Liverpool chasing a decisive goal when the ball struck an Arsenal defender in the box. Liverpool players immediately surrounded the referee, convinced they should have had a spot-kick, while Van Dijk was visibly enraged by the outcome.

After a brief on-field check and consultation with VAR, the referee stuck with the original decision and refused to point to the spot. Neville, on co-commentary duty, argued that while the incident looked contentious in real time, the replays showed insufficient grounds to overturn the on-field call. He maintained that there was either minimal contact, an unintentional handball, or that any infringement did not meet the “clear and obvious” threshold required for VAR intervention.

Van Dijk’s animated reaction became a focal point of the post-match discussion, with the Liverpool captain feeling his side had been denied a crucial opportunity in a finely balanced title-race encounter. Neville acknowledged Liverpool’s frustration and the emotional intensity of the moment but reiterated that, by the current interpretation of the laws, the officials had handled the situation correctly.

The episode reignited the wider debate over VAR consistency and the handball and penalty criteria in the Premier League. Liverpool supporters and some pundits felt the decision highlighted a pattern of marginal calls going against them in big games, while Neville took the opposite stance, using this incident to argue that not every appeal in a crowded penalty area can, or should, result in a penalty. The article ultimately portrays Neville as backing the officials and the VAR process, even as Liverpool’s senior players and fanbase were left seething at what they viewed as a pivotal non-call against Arsenal.