Arne Slot delivers verdict on controversial penalty in Liverpool's victory over Southampton | OneFootball

Liverpool manager Arne Slot did not dwell on the controversial penalty which his side conceded against Southampton on Sunday afternoon, righting the decision off as "black and white".

Dominik Szoboszlai fired the Reds in front half an hour into their trip to the south coast, but the struggling hosts struck back before the break. Tyler Dibling led a 40th-minute surge before he was hacked down by Andy Robertson on the edge of the penalty box.

On-pitch referee Sam Barrott immediately pointed to the spot, but replays of the incident suggested that contact may have been made outside the area. The Premier League subsequently explained that VAR did not have the authority to weigh in on the debate as no conclusive angle could be found of the incident.

Adam Armstrong had his initial penalty effort saved by Caoimhin Kelleher before converting the rebound. Mateus Fernandes fired Southampton in front after the break, but Liverpool mounted a comeback, propelled by Mohamed Salah's seemingly endless supply of goals.

Andy Robertson (right) felled Tyler Dibling for Southampton's penalty / Robin Jones/GettyImages

When asked about a decision that caused widespread consternation among Liverpool's fanbase, Slot told the assembled media: "In general, sometimes you could have made a different decision or not, but for me with the offsides and deciding if a ball is inside or outside, that is just black and white.

"It was a foul, that was clear, so if they saw it was inside then, yes, it's a penalty. Sometimes with a knock, yes or no, or red card, yes or no. There was also an incident in the first half where you could argue if it's a red card, yes or no. Those things you can argue, but offside and inside or outside the 18-yard box is something you cannot argue."

The red-card incident which Slot was referring to involved former Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana. The veteran playmaker overran the ball while trying to weave his way out of Southampton's crowded defensive third in the first half, lunging into a reckless challenge on Ryan Gravenberch. The referee only showed a yellow card, which was not upgraded by VAR.