Three decisions referee Alejandro Hernandez got wrong in Liverpool loss vs PSV
Liverpool suffered yet more misery as they were beaten 4-1 by PSV at home on Wednesday night.
The Reds have struggled in the Premier League in recent weeks, so the opportunity to continue their Champions League campaign would have been a welcome one before kick-off.
However, the game only served to pile more pressure on Arne Slot and Liverpool, as goals from Ivan Perisic, Guus Til, and a brace from Couhaib Driouech saw the visitors overcome Dominik Szoboszlai’s strike.
It was another sorry night for the reigning English champions, but they had little to thank referee Alejandro Hernandez for after a frustrating display from the man in the middle.
Hugo Ekitike should have had 20th-minute penalty
Hugo Ekitike has remained a standout performer for Liverpool in recent weeks despite their struggles of late, and his direct running was a huge threat to PSV on Wednesday.
The forward was also unlucky not to have won a penalty for his team in the 20th minute, when he was felled just inside the penalty area by Anass Salah-Eddine.
The PSV man made no contact on the ball and effectively blocked Ekitike, who was forced to try and jump out of the way of his challenge, which he failed to manage.
The on-field official was not sent to the monitor by the VAR team, and if he had, then his initial call would surely have been overturned.
Federico Chiesa should have been awarded a late penalty
Federico Chiesa was introduced for Liverpool in the latter stages of the game in a desperate bid to try and salvage something from the evening.
The Italian looked bright during his brief cameo on the pitch, and was perhaps unlucky not to win his team a penalty when he was tripped inside the box shortly before the 80-minute mark.
Chiesa pounced on a loose ball in the box before his marker could react, and appeared to have his heels clips, only for referee Hernandez to wave away another set of appeals.
It would undoubtedly have been a debatable decision had a spot-kick been awarded, but it was the sort of penalty that we have become accustomed to seeing given in the Premier League.
Virgil van Dijk handball wrong to be given
Virgil van Dijk’s performances for Liverpool have come under scrutiny in recent weeks, after he was at the centre of several shaky moments in the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City.
The Dutchman conceded a penalty for Liverpool after just six minutes on Wednesday night, but he was right to feel a little aggrieved with the way the referee viewed the incident.
The ball was delivered into the box from a PSV corner and it struck Van Dijk, who had jumped with his arm held aloft.
However, there was some debate as to whether the Liverpool man had been knocked into the ball by Jerdy Schouten, although referee Hernandez adjusted the contact to be insufficient.
In hindsight, it could certainly be argued that the decision was incorrect, and the Reds captain was knocked directly into the path of the ball.