Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola expressed his frustration over a controversial penalty decision that led to Liverpool's victory in their recent Premier League clash. The incident occurred when Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo appeared to have minimal contact with Bournemouth's Lewis Cook, yet resulted in a penalty that Mohamed Salah converted in the Reds' 2-0 win.
The Spanish coach didn't hold back in his post-match comments, stating, "They give this one - then I will complain for the other one because it's even more clear. So, I can complain about the consistency of the decisions." Iraola's criticism was echoed by numerous fans who were equally puzzled by the referee's call.
Despite the setback, Bournemouth has been showing impressive form in recent weeks. The Cherries, currently sitting in seventh place, have secured notable victories against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, positioning themselves as surprise contenders for Champions League qualification. They're just one point behind fourth-placed Manchester City, who are set to face Arsenal in their next fixture.
Looking ahead to their upcoming matches, Bournemouth will travel to Everton for their FA Cup fourth round encounter, followed by a crucial league match against Southampton. The latter fixture could prove pivotal in their European aspirations, with Iraola potentially eyeing fifth place as a route to Champions League qualification, given the possibility of an additional spot through England's European coefficient.
During the post-match discussion, Iraola also emphasized his preference to focus on player performance, remarking, "The levels of the players we deserve to talk about them. I will try to speak about the players -they're the ones who deserve that. We were ready for this, but we needed to punish them and put them under more pressure."
