Iraola says he will tell Isak to go down after penalty appeal

Andoni Iraola said he would tell Alexander Isak to go to ground in future after Liverpool’s penalty appeal was rejected in its 1-0 defeat by Arsenal, arguing that players who stay upright are less likely to win a decision. The Bournemouth manager’s remarks followed a first-half incident in which Jurrien Timber pulled Isak’s shirt as the Liverpool forward tried to reach a cross. Referee Andy Madley did not award a penalty, and video assistant referee Stuart Attwell did not overturn the on-field decision. Isak remained on his feet and did not appeal to the referee, although he spoke to Timber after the contact. Iraola said he believed the shirt pull prevented Isak from reaching the ball and that going down would have led to a penalty. That was Iraola’s assessment, not an established outcome. Iraola said he would advise players to go down in similar situations, while also describing Isak as honest and saying he had tried to play the ball. He criticized the need for players to emphasize contact to attract a decision, but said he expected referees to respond differently if a player fell. Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk also questioned why Isak needed to complain when the incident...