PGMOL: Despite 'misguided' TV query, Moss' call correct on Spurs PK

Jonathan Moss, the referee who controversially awarded two penalty kicks as Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur played out a 2-2 draw at Anfield, is accepting some blame.

A spokesman for the Professional Game Match Officials Limited group said on Monday that Moss acknowledged he was "misguided" to ask Martin Atkinson, the fourth official for the game, for help using television when awarding the first of two penalties to Tottenham.

Moss awarded the penalty after Harry Kane, who was offside when collecting a pass from Dele Alli which took a deflection off Dejan Lovren, was brought down by Loris Karius. As detailed by BBC Sport, the referee made the request via his headset and was seen on camera asking Atkinson if there was "anything from TV" to show that the Croatian centre-back touched the ball.

There was no video assistant referee in operation for the game.

"Jon Moss was in a good position to see that a Liverpool player deliberately played the ball before it fell to Harry Kane in the penalty area," the spokesman said, according to BBC Sport's Richard Conway. "He then correctly judged that Kane was fouled by Lorius Karius. However, given the speed of the attack he was uncertain of the identity of the Liverpool player who kicked the ball. Eddie Smart, having identified that Kane was in an offside position, correctly sought clarification on whether Dejan Lovren had deliberately played the ball. His question created some momentary confusion when Eddie asked if 'Lovren' had touched the ball. Moss knew a Liverpool player had touched the ball but not that it was Lovren.

"He then asked a question to his fourth official Martin Atkinson and acknowledges that referencing 'TV' was misguided. Atkinson did not reply to the question and so had no involvement in the decision. Having properly reflected on the questions asked, Jon knew that a Liverpool player, now identified as Lovren, had played the ball and that no offside offence had occurred. He then awarded the penalty. For the avoidance of doubt, Atkinson did not view a television monitor and did not relay any information to the on-field officials.

"In real time this was a difficult series of decisions which the match officials judged correctly in recognising that Kane was not offside, as Lovren had deliberately played the ball, and he was fouled for the award of the penalty kick. The interpretation of 'deliberately' kicking a ball considers whether a player has intentionally tried to kick a ball - it does not consider whether the ball ends up where a player may have wanted to kick it."

Mark Clattenburg, a former Premier League referee and BT Sports pundit, said that the penalty should not have been awarded because it was offside.