Referee Appears to Elbow Liverpool Defender in Draw vs. Arsenal

The Premier League officials’ governing body is investigating an incident in which the assistant referee seemed to elbow Liverpool fullback Andy Robertson.

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — The body in charge of professional referees said it will review a clash between Andy Robertson and assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis during Liverpool’s game against Arsenal on Sunday.

Video replays appeared to show Hatzidakis raise his arm when colliding with the Liverpool defender around the end of the first half of the Premier League game at Anfield.

In a statement, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) confirmed it would look into the matter.

“PGMOL is aware of an incident involving assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis and Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson at halftime during the Liverpool v Arsenal fixture at Anfield,” it said. “We will review the matter in full once the game has concluded.”

Andy Robertson claims to have been elbowed in the throat by the assistant referee 😳 pic.twitter.com/1jqqwTouyD

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 9, 2023

Liverpool fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2, with Roberto Firmino scoring an 87th-minute equalizer.

After the match, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was unable to cast any light on the incident with Robertson.

“I know it happened but I didn’t watch it,” Klopp said. “If it happened the pictures will speak for themselves.”