Why Liverpool Didn’t Get a Penalty After Yehor Yarmolyuk Got a Red Card for Headbutting Jeremy Jacquet in the Box
Here’s why Liverpool didn’t get a penalty when Yehor Yarmolyuk was sent off for violent conduct in the Brentford box.
Things got heated during Liverpool’s tough away match against a strong Brentford team, after Yarmolyuk got a red card for headbutting Jeremy Jacquet inside the box. Even though the referee agreed it was violent conduct, no penalty was given—and now we know why.
After a challenging first half with several Liverpool players getting injured, fans were worried when Jacquet was seen in pain just before a corner kick. It turned out Yarmolyuk headbutted him out of frustration while trying to defend the corner.
The referee, John Brooks, looked at the VAR and saw the violent conduct, so he gave Yarmolyuk a red card right away. But since the ball wasn’t actually in play while Liverpool was preparing for the corner, no penalty was awarded.
According to Premier League rules (IFAB Law 12), penalties or free kicks can only be given for fouls that happen while the ball is in play.
A similar thing happened last week when Tottenham’s Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off for moving his head toward Luke Shaw’s face during the game.
Earlier in the half, Brooks had given Liverpool a penalty for a foul on Alexis Mac Allister, but after a VAR check, he changed his mind and took it back.
Liverpool went into halftime 1-0 down after Lewis Keane-Potter scored a beautiful header. It was a tough first half, especially since star midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai had to leave the game early due to an injury.
But things improved in the second half. Victor Munoz, Liverpool’s summer signing, used some great skill to get past Lewis-Potter and score. Then, 20 minutes before the end, Alexander Isak, who was also back from injury, put Liverpool ahead.
Isak’s goal helped secure the win for Andoni Iraola’s team, moving them up to fifth place in the Premier League with 12 points.
Next up, Liverpool will play Villarreal at Anfield in a Champions League match on Tuesday.
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