Why Liverpool were not awarded a penalty after Yehor Yarmolyuk red card for Jeremy Jacquet headbutt in the box

The reason why Liverpool didn't get a penalty after Yehor Yarmolyuk was shown a red card for violent conduct in the Brentford box has been confirmed.

Tensions boiled over during Liverpool's tough away day against an in-form Brentford side after Yarmolyuk was sent off for headbutting Jeremy Jacquey in the box.

Despite the referee agreeing that Yarmolyuk had committed violent conduct in the box, a penalty was not awarded, and now we know why.

Why Liverpool weren't awarded a penalty for Yehor Yarmolyuk headbutt

After a dramatic first half led to several Liverpool players coming off injured, fans were concerned when they saw Jacquet writhing on the floor just moments before a corner kick was taken.

Shortly after, it was revealed that Jacquet's pain was caused by Yarmolyuk, who appeared to headbutt the Liverpool defender out of frustration while trying to defend the upcoming corner.

After a VAR review, referee John Brooks agreed that the Ukrainian had committed violent conduct and immediately sent him off with a red card.

But, because the ball wasn't actually in play as Liverpool prepared to take a corner, the Reds were not awarded a penalty.

IFAB Law 12, which applies in the Premier League, states: “Direct and indirect free kicks and penalty kicks can only be awarded for offences committed when the ball is in play.”

In a similar incident last week, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off after moving his head towards Luke Shaw’s face during the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

Earlier in the half, Brooks had actually awarded Liverpool a penalty for a challenge on Alexis Mac Allister, only to overturn his decision after checking the VAR monitor.

The decision meant that Liverpool went back into the changing rooms 1-0 down thanks to a stunning header from Lewis Keane-Potter’s.

And it was certainly a first half to forget after star midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai’s was forced off after just 32 minutes after what seemed to be a recurrence that kept him out of the clash with Manchester City last week.

But Liverpool's luck changed in the second half as a clever bit of skill from summer signing Victor Munoz saw the 23-year-old get past Lewis-Potter to slot one into the back of the Brentford net.

Not long after Alexander Isak, who also returned from injury in the fixture, put the Reds ahead with 20 minutes to go.