Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott has fumed at the award of Plymouth's penalty during the Reds' FA Cup fourth round defeat on Sunday.
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Reds beaten 1-0 via Plymouth penaltyRock-bottom Championship side progressElliott handled ball in the areaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Plymouth recorded a historic victory over the Premier League leaders on Sunday, as a heavily rotated Reds side were beaten 1-0 thanks to Ryan Hardie's penalty. The spot-kick was awarded after Elliott put his hands up to block a Plymouth ball into the box, and a penalty was awarded due to his handball.
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Despite replays showing that the midfielder raised his arms and the ball striking his hand, Elliott maintains the spot-kick should not have been awarded. His defence stems from the fact that he was very close to Darko Gyabi when he kicked the ball, although it is unlikely to mean anything in the long run.
WHAT HARVEY ELLIOTT SAID
Elliott told reporters: "I mean, the arguments could go on forever, to be honest. I was so close to him and I said to the referee: ‘Do you expect me to jump with my arms by my side? That’s just not a natural way of jumping.’ I was trying my hardest to block the ball and my arm was up there but it was about a metre away from the player shooting. But it’s football, it’s a kick in the teeth really. It’s not nice to lose this way and it’s not nice for it to be on you, as I gave away the penalty. So, unfortunately it’s just one of those things. I need to keep my head up and keep pushing on."
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Liverpool will aim to put this humiliation behind them quickly. They play Everton in a huge Merseyside derby on Wednesday.