Some fans believe Mohamed Salah’s dramatic late penalty against Burnley should have been ruled out, though Premier League regulations help clear up the debate.
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Liverpool continued their flawless start to the season with a last-gasp win at Turf Moor, keeping their title defense firmly on track. ..Continue Reading
The match remained scoreless deep into added time, with both sides appearing set to share the points.
Burnley’s hopes took a hit when Lesley Ugochukwu was dismissed for a second booking shortly before the final whistle.
Then came the decisive moment: substitute Hannibal Mejbri was penalized for handling Jeremie Frimpong’s cross, prompting referee Michael Oliver to point to the spot.
Salah stepped up and calmly converted the penalty, sealing a 1-0 victory and ensuring Liverpool stayed atop the Premier League standings after four matches.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Liverpool’s game winner said: “Tough opponent today, we tried our best to get the ball between the lines. It was tough but I am glad we managed it.
“We have a few new players in the starting line up and it takes time to adapt to our game and we try our best to make them confident in our game.
“We don’t give up. We try and push ourselves to the limit and as team we did that.”
Liverpool manager Arne Slot added: “I settled really bad because after 90 minutes when I saw how much added time there was I was shocked.
“I was still shocked when we got the penalty because five minutes of added time for me was unbelievable. Shocked and then happy Mo scored the penalty.”
However, a number of fans argued that Mohamed Salah’s decisive penalty should have been disallowed due to encroachment by a teammate.
Just moments before the Egyptian forward took the spot-kick, Jeremie Frimpong was visibly sprinting into the box, prompting some users on X to claim the goal was invalid under Premier League rules.
They insisted that such movement should have led to the penalty being retaken or overturned.
One fan wrote: “Wasn’t aware you’re allowed in the box before the penalty’s been taken.”
Another posted: “Whatever Liverpool want I guess.”
And one fan wrote: “It’s Liverpool the league and PGMOL belongs to them. Keep quiet and let them have whatever they want.”
However, those arguing that the goal should have been disallowed appear to be mistaken when the Premier League’s official guidelines are taken into account.
While Jeremie Frimpong does enter the penalty area before Mohamed Salah strikes the ball, his presence does not influence the result of the kick.
According to league regulations, encroachment only warrants intervention if the player involved has a clear and direct effect on the outcome—something Frimpong did not do, as Salah converted the penalty cleanly.
The rules state: “To be penalised for encroachment, the player must have a material impact on the outcome of the kick.
“For example, this could be when a defender who encroaches clearly prevents a goal from being scored or impacts the ability of an opponent to play the ball.
“If the encroaching player has no impact, there is no offence.”