The Incident

In the 57th minute during last night's Europa League clash between Rangers and Brondby, Ibrox midfielder Joe Aribo hit the deck inside the penalty area.

The Nigerian international went down under the challenege of Sigurd Rosted, but referee Fran Jovic did not deem the challenge to be worthy of a penalty.

A VAR check would follow, but no penalty was awarded.

What was said?

Steven Gerrard believes Rangers should have had a penalty when Joe Aribo went tumbling in the box in the second half.

He said: “Listen I am in favour of VAR and I think it will improve as we go along.

“I think tonight is the evidence that they don’t get everything perfectly right because they have missed a stonewall penalty.

“I think anyone who loves football, if you watch that. I thought at the time it was a penalty and now I have seen it four, five times, I am 100 per cent convinced it was a pen. VAR missed one unfortunately.”

The Rule

A penalty kick is awarded if a player commits a direct free kick offence inside their penalty area or off the field as part of play as outlined in Laws 12 and 13.

A goal may be scored directly from a penalty kick.

Law 12

A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences against an opponent in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force:

              •            charges

              •            jumps at

              •            kicks or attempts to kick

              •            pushes

              •            strikes or attempts to strike (including head-butt)

              •            tackles or challenges

              •            trips or attempts to trip

If an offence involves contact, it is penalised by a direct free kick.

              •            Careless is when a player shows a lack of attention or consideration when making a challenge or acts without precaution. No disciplinary sanction is needed

 •            Reckless is when a player acts with disregard to the danger to, or consequences for, an opponent and must be cautioned

              •            Using excessive force is when a player exceeds the necessary use of force and/or endangers the safety of an opponent and must be sent off

A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences:

              •            a handball offence (except for the goalkeeper within their penalty area)

              •            holds an opponent

              •            impedes an opponent with contact

   •            bites or spits at someone

              •            throws an object at the ball, an opponent or a match official, or makes contact with the ball with a held object

See also offences in Law 3.

The Verdict

Replays showed that Aribo was clearly fouled inside the penalty area by the Brondby defender and as a result he should have recieved a penalty.

It is worrying that neither the referee or the VAR team spotted the foul.

As law 12 states "a direct free kick (penalty in this case) is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences against an opponent in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force: charges, jumps at, kicks or attempts to kick, pushes, strikes or attempts to strike (including head-butt), tackles or challenges, trips or attempts to trip".