Liverpool Morning Round-Up, Monday 2nd November 2026: Iraola Fumes Over Penalty Call as Arsenal End 14-Year Anfield Hoodoo
Liverpool fell to a 1-0 home defeat by Arsenal on Sunday, with the Gunners ending a run of 14 years without a win at Anfield (LiverpoolFC.com) (Liverpool.com) (Sky Sports). Mikel Arteta said he was "proud" of his side for standing up to the famous Anfield atmosphere, and later said "I want to" when reflecting on the long-awaited win (Liverpool.com) (Liverpool Echo). Declan Rice also spoke about relishing the "anxiety" of the title race after the victory (BBC Sport).
The big talking point was Liverpool being denied a penalty for what looked like a shirt pull on Alexander Isak, with Andoni Iraola left fuming at the decision (Liverpool Echo) (BBC Sport) (The Guardian) (Liverpool.com) (BBC Sport). Jamie Carragher, Ian Wright and Daniel Sturridge were among the pundits who criticised the call, with one telling VAR to "do your job" (Liverpool Echo). Iraola said he will now tell his players to "go down" in the box in future after feeling his side were hard done by on two separate claims (BBC Sport) (The Guardian) (Liverpool.com). BBC pundits Kelly Cates, Danny Murphy and Micah Richards also debated whether Arsenal were fortunate to avoid a penalty for Jurrien Timber's challenge on Isak (BBC Sport), while Liverpool fan Abigail Rudkin argued there's no need to overreact to the incident (BBC Sport).
There was also controversy around a red card incident, with Noni Madueke avoiding a sending off following an altercation with Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool.com). Gary Neville was critical of Mac Allister's reaction, branding it "embarrassing" (Liverpool.com), though Iraola responded with a measured verdict on the flashpoint (Liverpool.com). Despite the defeat, Mac Allister and Virgil van Dijk were praised for strong individual performances, with Van Dijk dominant in the air (This Is Anfield). Young midfielder Trey Nyoni also caught the eye after being given a starting role ahead of Ryan Gravenberch, though there were also noted concerns growing around Alisson (Liverpool.com) (Liverpool Echo). Andy Hunter wrote that Liverpool's "work in progress" fizzled out against a streetwise Arsenal side (The Guardian), and Iraola explained his substitutions and what he felt cost his team in the game (This Is Anfield) (Liverpool Echo).
On the transfer front, Liverpool are reported to have been boosted in their pursuit of Lamine Camara, with Chelsea said to be stepping aside to allow a deal to progress (TeamTalk) (Liverpool.com), while reports also link the Reds with interest in other targets as part of their transfer plans (BBC Sport) (Liverpool.com).
Looking ahead, Liverpool's fixture list continues at pace, with Premier League meetings against Manchester United and Everton on the horizon after the November international break, as attention turns to how their run compares with title rivals Arsenal and Manchester City (Liverpool.com).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.
