Premier League confirm reason behind controversial VAR decisions in Liverpool win at Brentford
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If you thought a Saturday afternoon trip to the Gtech Community Stadium was going to be a routine affair, the first 45 minutes in West London proved once again that watching this Liverpool side is never good for the heart rate.Between overturned spot-kicks, VAR pitchside monitor drama, and yet another worrying injury setback, Andoni Iraola’s men were put through the absolute mill. He was forced off early, adding another frustrating chapter to Liverpool’s midfield selection headaches.To make matters worse, moments after Szoboszlai’s departure, the visitors were denied what looked like a clear penalty when Florian Wirtz went down inside the box under heavy pressure, only for referee John Brooks to wave play on.Seconds later, drama erupted at the other end of the penalty area.
As Liverpool prepared to take a corner, an altercation broke out inside the Brentford penalty area between Ukrainian midfielder Yehor Yarmolyuk and Liverpool center-back Jeremy Jacquet.Replays showed Yarmolyuk leaning in with his head towards Jacquet while remonstrating with the referee, leaving Jacquet on the turf. Brooks was sent to the pitchside monitor for a second time, and after reviewing the incident, he showed Yarmolyuk a straight red card for violent conduct.Addressing the Gtech Community Stadium crowd over the PA system, Brooks explained his decision:"After review, the Brentford No.6 commits a headbutting action.
The final decision is a red card”.— Premier League Match Centre (@PLMatchCentre) October 17, 2026Many traveling Kopites inside the stadium questioned why Liverpool were not awarded a penalty kick following the foul inside the 18-yard box. Had the ball been active in play, Iraola’s side would have been granted a spot-kick.Yarmolyuk now faces a three-match domestic suspension, ruling him out of Brentford's upcoming matches against Hull City, Sunderland in the EFL Cup, and Nottingham Forest.With an extra man on the pitch, Iraola made a bold tactical move at the break, replacing Ronald Araujo with Jeremie Frimpong to push more numbers forward down the right flank.However, Liverpool’s luck on the injury front took another painful turn just six minutes into the second half.