To dive or not to dive? Football's big dilemma

Liverpool feel Alexander Isak should have been awarded a penalty against Arsenal but with the striker not appealing for the decision and the VAR staying out of it, should he have made more of it? Bradley Barcola delivered a cross into the Arsenal penalty area, with Liverpool striker Alexander Isak seemingly ready to nod home an equaliser. The Sweden international just failed to get his head on the ball, and it drifted out of play. Isak simply turned around to make his way back up the field in readiness for the goal-kick. Replays showed that Jurrien Timber had a handful of Isak's shirt. Surely that prevented the striker from being able to play the ball?

Yet Isak did not complain. Without watching those replays you would have no inkling there was a potential penalty. Referee Andy Madley did not see anything. The video assistant referee (VAR), Stuart Attwell, decided there was not enough in it for a review. "There is a clear grab of the shirt," Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola said after the 1-0 defeat by the Gunners at Anfield on Sunday. "The answer is you have to dive, if you don't dive they won't call it." Take Alexis Mac Allister, described as "embarrassing" by Jamie Carragher for throwing himself to the ground, claiming he was headbutted by Noni Madueke