Liverpool handed new referee verdict after controversial decision in Burnley stalemate

Liverpool was unable to beat Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday, with Cody Gakpo winning a penalty that was missed by Dominik Szoboszlai in the first half at Anfield

Referee Andy Madley speaks to Hugo Ekitike of Liverpool.(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Liverpool shouldn't have been awarded a penalty for the foul on Cody Gakpo against Burnley, the former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has claimed.

The ex-Premier League official has criticized the referee at Anfield, suggesting that the contact was minimal. Dominik Szoboszlai couldn't convert from 12 yards anyway, crashing an effort off the crossbar, with usual penalty taker Mohamed Salah still at AFCON, where he missed in the third-place play-off against Nigeria.

Florian Wirtz later opened the scoring in the first half before Marcus Edwards netted the equalizer after the break. Liverpool was unable to find a second goal to move ahead in the game again.

"What a poor penalty decision by referee Andy Madley," Hackett said. "We see at corner kicks, holding, pulling and blocking going unpunished.

"I struggle to see any offence that would see a penalty kick awarded to Liverpool. (It was the) wrong call by the officials."

Had Szoboszlai scored when he had the chance, perhaps the game could have unfolded differently. Wirtz instead broke the deadlock but the Reds couldn't kick on.

A penalty kick from Liverpool's Hungarian midfielder #08 Dominik Szoboszlai hits the crossbar during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Burnley at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on January 17, 2026. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Image: Getty Images)

"Not for the first time, frustrating," Arne Slot said in his post-match press conference.

"They come in different fashions: sometimes it is that we are scoring a goal in extra time, so you expect to win the game and then you concede another goal in extra time.

"I think these games we’ve played quite a lot during the phase where we lost a few games where we were the team that created much more chances than the team we faced, but then we were losing those games.

"Then we started to become a team that was a bit more careful in conceding chances and that led to the fact that it made it also more difficult to create a lot and as a result of that we’ve been in a run of games where we haven’t lost.

"I think today was a game which I like to see, a team that even for our standards [had] more ball possession than we usually have, generating a lot of chances from that ball possession.

"Usually if you take a bit more risk that comes with the other team counter-attacking you a few times and we controlled that really well.

"But in football, one team can have two chances — there was almost an own goal from us — and score one goal and the other team can have multiple chances and score one goal as well and you get the result we got today."