The penalty awarded to Nottingham Forest midway through the second half of their match at Liverpool on Saturday — when goalkeeper Alisson brought down Neco Williams — was out of step with several similar incidents last season, but in line with some others.It is one of the areas where inconsistency is rife, not only among referees but also the independent panel that judges their decisions and people across the game.The principle being applied in the 2024-25 season, when I was a member of the panel, was that such challenges by onrushing goalkeepers should result in penalties only if their actions were deemed reckless.Neco Williams is fouled by Alisson (Dan Mullan/Getty Images)Otherwise, the contact was written off as an inevitable consequence of a goalkeeper’s attempt to prevent a goal. As referees, we were told that this was what ‘football expects’, and that the Premier League agreed.It is part of an overall trend where, last season, there were 14 incidents involving penalty appeals for a challenge on a player immediately after he had completed a shot, pass or cross. The outcomes were as follows:Penalties awarded on the pitch
To Fulham at Manchester United, for a foul by Harry Maguire
