Fans shocked by what Stuart Attwell told Fulham players after awarding controversial Liverpool penalty

Fans have been left staggered by Stuart Attwell's admission over the controversial penalty awarded in Liverpool's win over Fulham on Wednesday night.

Liverpool ran out 1-0 winners at Anfield courtesy of Mo Salah's 39th minute penalty, but the decision to give the spot-kick has been branded "disgraceful" and led to "LiVARpool" shouts online.

Darwin Nunez beat Issa Diop to the ball inside the penalty area and theatrically hurled himself to the ground, with Attwell pointing to the spot.

Yet replays showed that Nunez had absolutely played for it and that Diop had made no contact with the Uruguayan. Despite this, VAR did not overturn the penalty and Salah dispatched his effort down the middle for the only goal of the game.

Fulham felt aggrieved and incredibly, captain Tom Cairney claimed Attwell told one of his teammates that he made the wrong decision and that it shouldn't have been a penalty.

Liverpool penalty vs Fulham... clear dive... so rigged 💀 pic.twitter.com/tHluhFhcYQ

— 🏳️‍🌈💙 (@Everton_Nerd4) May 3, 2023

Speaking to Sky Sports afterwards, Cairney revealed: “At the time, I wasn’t sure [if it was a penalty]. The ref made a decision, I thought he’d seen contact. I asked him on the pitch, ‘please just make sure they check it.’

“He said they checked it, but he said second half to one of our players that it wasn’t a penalty, so it’s frustrating because it goes to other people to make the correct decision.

"Issa Diop hasn’t touched him, Nunez has taken another step and then gone over, and then you lose to something like that at Anfield which is frustrating when we’re trying to climb as high as we can.”

(In brief) According to the referee, he aided Liverpool's win tonight.

"He said they checked it, but he said second half to one of our players that it wasn't a penalty, so it's Frustrating because it goes to other people to make the correct decision." - Tom Cairney #FFC pic.twitter.com/2oftqbsWiT

— Fulham FC Ghana (@FulhamGhana) May 3, 2023

Liverpool moved within four points of Manchester United and the Champions League places with the victory, while Fulham missed out on the opportunity to close the five-point gap between them and London rivals Brentford in mid table.

Attwell came under scrutiny last month when he failed to award Brighton a penalty against Spurs, with PGMOL chief Howard Webb issuing an apology and admitting Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg had fouled Kauru Mitoma inside the area in the 2-1 defeat.

Fulham boss Marco Silva fumed over Wednesday's costly penalty call, which he branded "embarrassing" given VAR is in use.

"When you lose a game in football to that penalty, [it] is embarrassing," Silva told BBC.

"When you have the referee, then the VAR [video assistant referee] to help the referee, it is embarrassing.

"I didn't speak with the referee. I think my players and everyone that is honest will say the same.

"I will listen over the next few days if it is a harsh decision but for me it is clearly not a penalty. The player is already in the air."