Genuinely - was it a penalty?

[dww]

**** Arsenal and their smug fans, **** bitter comical Wenger who at the highest level is found wanting again, **** that no-mark, plastic club who are nothing more than a glorified NFL franchise with no pedigree in Europe, **** their talk of injustice and bitter ranting because they've come up short in Europe again, **** the London-centric Arsenal-loving media hacks, **** them all. We beat them on the field of play, we beat them with a character and a spirit and a soul that they could not match. Today they saw the Spirit of Liverpool, and they succumbed.

Oh, and btw, to answer your question of was it a penalty - **** YES.

I'm really not sure why there is any controversy about this to be honest, it was a blatant cynical piece of play by the defender. If we are honest they should have had a penalty last week but wanting it both ways in that Kuyt's hand tipped their man off balance and their players actions didn't get the ball and knocked Babel off his stride is a crock of ****.

The spirit in our team *











* He says having watched the highlights Livvy posted

[rage]

clear penalty from where i was stood. he could have gone down earlier in all honesty but continued until he drove on into the area.

also, very little in terms of protest, they also knew it was a penalty. didn't gerrard put it away well though?

[Dhav]

I'm really not sure why there is any controversy about this to be honest, it was a blatant cynical piece of play by the defender. If we are honest they should have had a penalty last week but wanting it both ways in that Kuyt's hand tipped their man off balance and their players actions didn't get the ball and knocked Babel off his stride is a crock of ****.

The spirit in our team *











* He says having watched the highlights Livvy posted

Dave mate, listen to comical bitter Wenger, read the BBC and watch SSN. You'd think it was the biggest injustice known to man that the penalty was given, because heaven forbid someone gives a decision that is detrimental to media darlings Arsenal, even though it was a no brainer.

**** em, we won with the Spirit of Liverpool. That was the difference.

When they took the lead at the Emirates we didn't give in - went up the other end and were level within three minutes. When they took the lead in this tie with 8 mins to go and we were on the verge of elimination we went straight up the other and within seconds we were back in front. That's the spirit of Liverpool, that's the heart and soul of this club. That is a spirit a plastic club like Arsenal cannot match, cannot comprehend, can do nothing when facing it but submit. That's why we're 5 times Champions of Europe and why Arsenal are European no marks. That's why we're in the CL semis and why Arsenal's season is all but over.

Arsenal may play aesthetically pleasing pass and move football, but for all their fancy play they lack what we have. They lack the ingredients that make us special. They lack our character. That's why we're Liverpool. And that's why they're just another club.

[Joe King]

Arsenal may play aesthetically pleasing pass and move football, but for all their fancy play they lack what we have. They lack the ingredients that make us special. They lack our character. That's why we're Liverpool. And that's why they're just another club.

I think thats the main thing. We wanted it that bit more after the disappointment of this season and last season's final.

For all their youngsters, they still lack that bit of steel which we have in Gerrard and Carra. That pride, that honour, that local part about them.

[glynner]

**** Arsenal and their smug fans, **** bitter comical Wenger who at the highest level is found wanting again, **** that no-mark, plastic club who are nothing more than a glorified NFL franchise with no pedigree in Europe, **** their talk of injustice and bitter ranting because they've come up short in Europe again, **** the London-centric Arsenal-loving media hacks, **** them all. We beat them on the field of play, we beat them with a character and a spirit and a soul that they could not match. Today they saw the Spirit of Liverpool, and they succumbed.

Oh, and btw, to answer your question of was it a penalty - **** YES.

I'm loving this, can't stand Arsenal.

[cumbriankop]

thats what fuks me off. if arsenal come from behind it shows "amazing spirit". we do it and we had a biased ref that dirk bought come to our aid. **** arsenal, we were comprehensively the better team tonight, and while in my opinion there were no penalties over the whole tie, its the fact arsenal didnt get one that will be highlighted.

hleb went down every time he was near someone tonight, over and over in the first half, but of course it will be seen as a clear cut peno. hleb goes down so easy its impossible to give a pen, the media forget that touching someone is not fouling them

[vonk]

I think both were penalties (I'm including the first leg incident) but Hleb made a meal of his which didn't help his cause. As soon as he was touched he fell into Kuyt. Babel on the other hand looked like he really tried to stay on his feet which was much more convincing. I think that decided it for the ref. Arsenal can bitch all they want. I think we were the better team in the second half. Hope they win on Sunday though.....

[WILF]

Yes it was a penalty , Babel wanted to stay on his feet but was knocked off balance.

[El Diego]

It was more than a pen than the one arsenal were moaning about last week.

[Reece]

Definite penalty.

[Shaggy]

Couldn't give a ****.

Verdict from Manchestoh: penalty! Amazingly. Two ardent Mancs here both say pen.

Unsurprisingly, my Bitter colleague was texting me during the game to say "CHEATS. AS USUAL, CHEATS!"

[barnes10]

in retrospect, i'd say neither were pens.

BUT, at the time - before any replays - my reaction to hleb was that come on he was barely touched and he went down like a sack of spuds. My reaction when babel tumbled and rolled was a stonewall pen.

thats what ref's base their decisions on isnt it. so im not suprised that ours was given not theirs.

but as i say, with video refereeing, i'd hope neither would have been given.

[Kenneth]

I'd have given both (if I wasn't an LFC fan, obviously). A 5-4 win on agg.

[Leyton388]

lol i just got this email off a gunners fan in work

"Shut it you dirty scouser. You where sooooooooo lucky. Where was our penalty at emirates"

[AFII]

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x50...rsenal-2_sport

Look after 6 minutes and 35 seconds and you get a great angle.