This is the reason why VAR didn't overturn Diogo Jota penalty decision

The football world seemingly went into meltdown last night when Liverpool's Diogo Jota took a tumble to earn a penalty which helped to seal his side's 4-2 victory over Newcastle United.

Former Magpies' captain Alan Shearer slammed the Portuguese's actions as "embarrassing", while ex-Arsenal man Ian Wright also posted on X, saying: "Would rather go down for a penalty than put the ball in an empty net! Seen it all!"

The incident in question saw Jota be sent clean through on goal by an excellent pass from Alexis Mac Allister. He then rounded keeper Martin Dubravka before hitting the deck in stages.

Despite the delayed fall, the VAR didn't overrule the on-field decision, much to the dismay of Shearer and co.

Mohamed Salah then stepped up to make the score 4-2, five minutes after Sven Botman had reduced the deficit.

However, as it turns out, the explanation for the decision is quite simple: there was contact on Jota's foot by Dubravka.

"Clear contact"

Former Premier League referee Mike Dean, speaking on Sky Sports' coverage of the game, offered insights into the discussions among the VAR officials, revealing the crucial detail that supported the penalty decision.

“I think we’ve heard Stuart Attwell just then on VAR [...] there’s clear contact by the left elbow of Dubravka on the foot of Jota,” he said.

As a result, he concluded: “So, once he’s given the penalty it is hard to overturn.”

Additionally, the Newcastle goalkeeper himself corroborated the incident on NUFC TV, saying: "I tried to pull my arms and not catch him. I felt the contact but I don't know what else I should do. In the end it was a penalty so there's no point in arguing with them."

Having now acknowledged making contact, this prompts serious questions regarding the backlash against the decision.