Jamie Carragher 'can't fathom' why Jota went down and gives verdict on Longstaff penalty call

The former Liverpool defender has given his verdict on the two big penalty decisions from Newcastle United's defeat at Anfield

Livepool legend Jamie Carragher 'can't believe' Diogo Jota went down to win a penalty instead of trying to score in Newcastle United's 4-2 defeat at Anfield on New Year's Day - and says Sean Longstaff could have been awarded a spot-kick at the other end just moments earlier.

Newcastle were hugely aggrieved when referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot after Jota appeared to have dived following a challenge from United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka late in the game at Anfield. It came with the Magpies already appealing for a penalty at the other end, when Longstaff looked to have been fouled by Wataru Endo in the Liverpool box - which would have given the visitor the chance to make it 3-3 from the spot.

As it was, VAR decided not to intervene on either incident, and Mo Salah put Liverpool 4-2 up. In truth, the home the side were largely dominant in the game, but the incidents left a sour taste after the match, with Eddie Howe criticisising the decisions. And Carragher, covering the game for Sky Sports, was not impressed that Jota had chosen to go down.

"He doesn’t need to go down, just carry on!" he said. "There is the slightest touch and it doesn’t knock him off. It’s there to be put in with his left foot.

"He’s gone down far too easily and there’s hardly any contact. I can’t believe a player would go down when they have got an empty net. I can’t fathom that."

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Turning to the Longstaff situation, the experienced former defender felt there was clear contact, but thought the Newcastle midfielder perhaps didn't make enough of it.

"I think the problem is that the ball runs away from Longstaff," he explained. "Longstaff doesn’t actually appeal too much which is very strange, but there is no doubt Endo makes contact.

"There is definitely contact, but Endo has no sort of clue about where Longstaff is. If Longstaff controls that and it’s right on his foot to almost finish, I think there is a great chance that it’s given."