"The man of the match knows it" - Jamie Carragher reacts as William Saliba admits Liverpool should have had a penalty against Arsenal

Jamie Carragher has reacted to William Saliba saying Liverpool should have had a penalty in their 1-1 draw against Arsenal on Saturday (23 December).

The Reds trailed in the fourth minute following Gabriel Magalhaes' header from a Martin Odegaard free-kick. Around the 20th minute, Liverpool had a seemingly valid shout for a spot-kick after Odegaard handled the ball inside the box.

Mohamed Salah attempted to beat the former Real Madrid midfielder and get in behind him, but the latter changed the direction of the ball with his hand. Referee Chris Kavanagh waved play on and VAR did not interfere with that decision.

The PGMOL, via Sky Sports (h/t Liverpool Echo), justified the call by stating that 'Odegaard's arm is moving towards the body and not the ball as he goes down'. Saliba, however, stated in the post-match interview that the Reds should have had a penalty.

Asked to give his opinion on the incident, the French center-back said (h/t GOAL):

"Yes, of course. Of course, it was a penalty. But, I'm not the referee and we have to accept [the decision]."

Carragher reshared a video of Saliba's interview and tweeted:

"It was a penalty & the man of the match knows it! Two blatant penalties for handball in the last two nights & VAR don’t get involved 🤷‍♂️"

The Reds did go on to equalize, doing so in the 29th minute through Salah. Both teams put in a solid defensive performance to hold onto the 1-1 scoreline, with Arsenal also having a penalty shout in the 81st minute which was turned down.

Just seconds before the full-time whistle, Saliba was announced as the 'Player of the Match on Sky's broadcast of the game (h/t @afcstuff on X). He won all three of his aerial duels, recorded six recoveries, and made three clearances.

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Who do Liverpool and Arsenal face next?

Liverpool don't have much time to take a breather as they are set to face Burnley at Turf Moor on Boxing Day (26 December) in the Premier League. They have lost to the Clarets just once in their last 11 meetings across competitions, winning eight.

The Reds are currently second in the table with 39 points from 18 matches, leading Aston Villa on goal difference. Leaders Arsenal, who are on 40 points, will face West Ham United at the Emirates on Wednesday (27 December). The Gunners have lost just once against the Hammers in their last nine meetings, winning six.

The Reds won two away league games in a row before drawing against Manchester United (0-0) and Arsenal at Anfield. Arsenal, meanwhile, have four points from a possible nine in their last three league matches.