Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal | Andoni Iraola Premier League Post-Match Press Conference

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

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SPEAKER_2 (0:45)

Andoni, what did you make of that in general and the fact you had no shots on target, what do you think of that?

Andoni Iraola (0:53)

Yes, overall, I think we have to blame, especially the start of the game until we considered the goal. I think the start hasn't been at the level of the game. But from that one nil, I think it's 15 or 16 minutes. I've loved the reaction of the team. I've loved even in the first half, I think we reacted really well, and I think we put Arsenal under big pressure.

I think we've done enough to score, but obviously we haven't. But we had, for me, the crossbar, we had the header of McAllister, that for me is a very clear chance. I think we had a clear penalty also for us. And I think we've had a lot of situations inside the box, not even around the box, inside the box, that definitely we haven't finished properly, as you say.

SPEAKER_4 (1:44)

There's obviously a big penalty shout in the press after the news on TV that you were taken straight away by Virgil as well.

Andoni Iraola (1:50)

What would you have done?

I think there are two situations, and they are a little bit related. I think the Isaac one is a clear penalty. He's going to hit the ball in front of the goal. They grab him where everyone see the shirt. You don't need a lot just to avoid Alex because the ball just goes in front of him. I think I don't see the reason why. Probably because he doesn't dive or he doesn't go to the floor. Shouldn't be a reason not to consider a penalty. And then after the Gagpo one, I think it's a sustained holding, but I understand the argument, and I think they are right that they say the ball was too long and Cody wouldn't have arrived to the ball, but then you're basically accepting that the first one is a pen, no? So you cannot use the argument in both ways differently. So I think it's a pen, the Alex one is.

Tom?

Tom (2:38)

Andoni, there will be potential tomorrow for PGMOL to look at this and then issue a statement and say that they got it done.

Andoni Iraola (2:46)

I don't know, I think we have to wait. As a manager in those situations, how do you take those retrospective? It means nothing. No, no, I don't, you know, I think we have to wait now, I think it's 10 days or 12 days until they give the resolution. But it's not going to change anything if we talk to the PGMall or not. It's going to be what it is. And that's it. Accept it.

And let's go for the next one. No, it's not going to change.

Tom (3:14)

But it's so frustrating in a game like this that it's going to be fine now?

Andoni Iraola (3:17)

Yeah.

Definitely it's very important because we have the same feeling. I can see it a little bit. First yellow of Ryan, small things in these kind of games that are so, so close, that every detail matters. It hasn't gone for us this season, but we'll see, the season is long and probably next day it goes for us.

Adam (3:43)

Andoni, both of your defeats now has been refereed, and maybe changed the game with Ryan and his better following in City. Obviously they're both frustrating, but do you take positives from the fact that it shows how close you are to the good, and how you bring games?

Andoni Iraola (4:00)

I can say what I think about the situations, but we cannot waste too much time about the refereeing decisions, I think. No, we have to say what it is. I think it's a pen. But we have to control the things that we need to improve, to be in the right side of these close games. I think we've done today more than enough to score. Probably what we need to correct is the beginning of the game until we concede. It's true that we concede, we mess up a goal kick, but the feeling I had before is their goal was closer than ours.