In the recent Premier League match between Bournemouth and Liverpool, a contentious moment arose when Liverpool was awarded a penalty after Cody Gakpo appeared to be tripped by Bournemouth’s Lewis Cook

The Premier League issued a statement following a controversial penalty decision in Liverpool’s match against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.

Arne Slot’s team, leading the league, faced a confident Bournemouth side coming off a dominant 5-0 victory over Nottingham Forest. The match was evenly contested until the 27th minute when Cody Gakpo was deemed to have been fouled by Lewis Cook.

Both players were sprinting toward a bouncing ball when Gakpo, 25, went to ground after contact with Cook, 27. However, replays suggested that Gakpo may have tripped over his own leg rather than being brought down by the Bournemouth midfielder.

Despite protests from Bournemouth’s players and fans, the penalty was awarded, and Mohamed Salah converted from the spot to give Liverpool the lead.

Shortly after, the Premier League addressed the incident through an official statement on their Match Centre X account, stating: “The referee’s call of penalty was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the challenge deemed to have been a trip by Cook on Gakpo. The VAR also confirmed Gakpo was onside in the build-up.”

The decision sparked widespread debate on social media. One fan called it an “unbelievable decision,” while another criticized VAR, arguing that Gakpo had tripped himself. Others sarcastically suggested that Liverpool might as well be handed the title if such decisions keep going their way. Some fans also pointed out that Bournemouth players did not protest much, implying another camera angle might have shown clearer evidence o

f a foul.