Alan Shearer and Ian Wright have raised doubts about Anthony Taylor’s refereeing, which resulted in Cody Gakpo being denied a scoring opportunity during Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with West Ham United on Saturday afternoon.
The Reds failed to secure a victory at the London Stadium, despite having a promising chance to do so. Quick thinking from Gakpo saw the Dutch forward seize possession of the ball that goalkeeper Alphonse Areola had momentarily placed on the ground while preparing to distribute it to a teammate.
Moments earlier, Areola had gathered a ball from a Liverpool cross while inside the box, but Taylor did not award a free-kick, allowing play to continue uninterrupted. Consequently, Gakpo was poised to capitalize on the loose ball left by the Hammers’ goalkeeper, with the entire goal at his disposal. However, Taylor swiftly blew his whistle, preventing the Dutchman from taking advantage of the situation.
The Premier League referee signaled for a break in play to permit West Ham’s medical team to enter the pitch and evaluate Areola. He made the decision independently, deeming it necessary for the former Paris Saint-Germain star to receive treatment, even though Areola did not request assistance himself.
Responding to the unusual incident that occurred as time was running out in the second half, Wright commented on Match of the Day: “The referee has had an absolute nightmare. The referee is running off and saying play on.
“He stops and he actually tells the ‘keeper to get up. He says ‘come on, let’s get on with it.’ He says that a couple of times. He [Areola] finally gets up and then he [Taylor] runs off.
“He says play. Now, he’s turned his back to him, I think Gakpo should have ran and finished that. Now he’s blown the whistle – I don’t know what’s going on. He’s going there…I don’t know what’s happening there now.”
Echoing the sentiments of the former Arsenal striker, Shearer also chimed in: “It’s a mess. The ref has made the error of not blowing. When the goalkeeper has collided with the post, that’s when he should have stopped the play and blown the whistle.
“He hasn’t blown the whistle which is an error. The referee calls the doctors and the physios on! They’re not even ready, they don’t even think he’s injured. He’s not injured, he’s [Taylor] has tried to rectify the mistake that he’s made. It was a very messy situation caused by the referee.”
