David Moyes felt West Ham United were denied an '8/10' penalty for handball against Thiago in Wednesday's 2-1 Premier League defeat by Liverpool.
The Hammers were pushing for a late leveler at London Stadium when Danny Ings got into the penalty area and was challenged by the Reds substitute. The ball hit Thiago on the left arm, but referee Chris Kavanagh did not see an infringement, and he was not called to the pitchside monitor to review the incident by VAR Neil Swarbrick.
The decision left Moyes and his players perplexed, and the Scot was none the wiser after asking Kavanagh for an explanation on the pitch after full-time.
Earlier, Paquetá had slammed West Ham in front from 22 yards with his third goal in successive matches on 12 minutes, before Cody Gakpo equalised six minutes later from even further out.
Jarrod Bowen then saw his fine low second-half strike ruled out by Swarbrick for offside, before Liverpool went into the lead through Joël Matip's thunderous header. And, despite a late rally from a West Ham team playing their eighth game in April, it was the visitors who claimed all three points.
I thought we played well in periods.
It’s difficult because of the way Liverpool play, and the position Trent Alexander-Arnold is taking up is causing different problems but, look, the players played very well.
We scored a very good opening goal. I’m not pleased with the two we conceded because I think both were avoidable, certainly the corner kick was. The first one we could have closed the shot down better. That was it.
The players kept going and we were in the Liverpool box in injury time, which you hope we would be because we were losing.
We tried to get the game back, we tried a lot of things and had one or two opportunities to score. We didn’t take them, but obviously for the referee not to give a penalty kick [for the late handball by Thiago] I found very strange.
I think I do know a wee bit about handball and the player lunges for a tackle, because of that he has to go with him arms out.
I get the bit about trying to break his fall, but this one he’s lunged in the box and I think it’s definitely hit him in the arm. For me, him lunging takes the breaking of the fall out [of the equation].
We had a penalty kick given against us for Arsenal against Micky Antonio here, with his arm being out at the side. Not every handball is going to result in the same decision, but tonight is think an 8/10 penalty and I find it hard that he’s not given it.
The next game [at Crystal Palace] comes around very quickly so we have to try and get the players back.
They put in a great effort tonight and we’re asking so much of the players at the moment. Let’s hope they can do it again at the weekend.
Liverpool played last Saturday and we played Sunday, so even that one day makes a big difference for the players.
We’ve got the same situation now going to Crystal Palace, and we’re at 12.30pm as well. It feels as though we’ve had a run of bad kick-off times and the scheduling has been really difficult.
