Controversy News: Clattenburg Takes Aim at Taylor’s Penalty Decisions in Forest and Liverpool Matches
Mark Clattenburg has pointed the finger at referee Anthony Taylor for taking different approaches to similar penalty incidents involving Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. Taylor had the whistle at the City Ground on Saturday as Forest were beaten 3-2 by Newcastle, with Bruno Guimaraes scoring the winning goal 24 minutes from time.
Forest were unlucky to be denied a spot-kick with the score at 2-2 when Taiwo Awoniyi was felled by Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka in the box. Their appeals were waved away by Taylor and VAR failed to overturn his decision not to award a penalty despite replays showing that contact was made, leaving Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo incensed.
Clattenburg, who spent many years refereeing in the Premier League before stepping down in 2017, believes that Forest had more of a case than Liverpool did when Diogo Jota won a penalty following a similar trip by Dubravka last month.
“Just last month, Liverpool were awarded a penalty at Anfield when Diogo Jota was judged to have been tripped by Newcastle’s Martin Dubravka,” wrote Clattenburg in his Daily Mail column.
“Soft though it was, the decision was awarded in real time. The referee that day? Anthony Taylor, who did not award Nottingham Forest a penalty when Taiwo Awoniyi was tripped by the same keeper.