Dermot Gallagher astonished by Cody Gakpo incident in West Ham United v Liverpool
Dermot Gallagher says referee Anthony Taylor caused “a mess” for effectively denying Cody Gakpo a goal for Liverpool against West Ham.
The bizarre incident took place in the second half of Saturday’s (27 April) Premier League clash at London Stadium, which ended in a 2-2 draw.
Alphonse Areola chucked the ball out and Gakpo pounced on it, but the referee blew his whistle before the Liverpool man could fire into the net.
Areola appeared to think a free-kick had been awarded, but the referee had instead waved play on, meaning the ball was in fact active.
Reacting to the incident on Sky Sports News [29 April, 11:05am], Gallagher said: “It’s a mess, to be honest. It could have been avoided very easily.
“Areola clutches the ball after colliding with the post. Anthony Taylor, for whatever reason, signals advantage. Areola throws the ball to the ground, Gakpo closes in, the referee blows up and decides the keeper needs treatment.
“It’s messy and could have been avoided. He’s dug himself out well by saying the player needs treatment, but one wonders if it had gone in the net [then what?], because the stakes would have been much higher.
“At this point, he can stop play. But he doesn’t – he turns his back on the ball and that’s the mistake. He’s not in control of that situation. The easy answer is to blow your whistle earlier.”
Should Cody Gakpo been allowed to score for Liverpool?
By the letter of the law, Liverpool were hard done by – not that West Ham fans will be complaining. The referee did not award a free-kick, so the ball was active when Areola threw it out.
Gakpo should have been allowed to fire in, but referee Taylor blew before he could do so, knowing the controversy it would have caused had play continued.
Interestingly, had the Dutchman indeed tapped home, there is nothing the referee could have done. Given it would have put Liverpool 3-2 ahead late on, it would have caused carnage at London Stadium.
What Taylor should have done is simply blown up when Areola went down and awarded a free-kick, then all this would have been avoided.
In the spirit of fair play, the correct decision was ultimately made in blowing the whistle. Seeing the game settled by that Gakpo goal simply would not have been fair at the end of what was a surprisingly entertaining game.
In other West Ham news, an atmosphere claim made at the weekend is damning for under-fire boss David Moyes.
For more West Ham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.