Mohamed Salah 'deceived the referee' and deserved punishment vs Crystal Palace - Ex-refs chief
Mohamed Salah was fortunate not to be punished for diving during Liverpool's win over Crystal Palace at Anfield.
That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that the Egyptian superstar "deceived the referee" before Andy Madley overturned the decision.
In the 23rd minute, the Reds' No.11 appeared to be bundled over inside the penalty area by Brennan Johnson, only for VAR to direct the referee over to the pitch-side monitor on Saturday, 25 April.
Upon reviewing the incident, Madley gave a drop ball to the Eagles, taking the penalty away from Salah, and it is believed that the player should have been punished for his actions in Liverpool's win at Anfield.
Mohamed Salah in 'clear act of simulation' vs Crystal Palace
Diving appears to be a growing epidemic in the Premier League, and Salah is no stranger to it, going over far too easily inside Palace's penalty area in order to gain an advantage during the first half.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the penalty incident, the former referee said: "That is a clear act of simulation that deceived the referee. He should have received a yellow card."
It is something that Howard Webb and the PGMOL are continuously encouraged to crack down on by frustrated managers and supporters, but referees keep failing to punish it.
| Premier League clubs | No. of penalties awarded in 2025-26 |
| 1. Brentford | 9 |
| 2. Chelsea | 7 |
| 3. Crystal Palace | 7 |
| 4. Leeds United | 7 |
| 18. Liverpool | 2 |
With Madley overturning the decision following a VAR review, many will question why Liverpool's star winger wasn't retrospectively punished, and it should be something that is looked at this summer.
Premier League Match Centre release new announcement
Had Alexander Isak and Andy Robertson not hit the back of the net before half-time, Liverpool fans would have been hugely disappointed, but it didn't stop supporters from bouncing at Anfield.
Taking to X (25 April), the Premier League Match Centre wrote: "After VAR review, the referee overturned the original decision of a penalty to Liverpool.
"Referee announcement: 'After review, Crystal Palace number 11 gets a touch on the ball. My final decision is a drop ball to the goalkeeper - no penalty."
The Eagles were unable to take advantage of the overturned decision, going two goals behind before the half-time break, but it would have been a relief for Johnson, especially.
Johnson has struggled to find his feet since signing for Palace, and giving away an early penalty is the last thing that the winger would have wanted this weekend.