Tottenham-Liverpool: Spurs denied penalty as Trent pushes Sessegnon in area

Tottenham thought they should have had a penalty in the first half of their Premier League match against Liverpool on Sunday for a Trent Alexander-Arnold push on Ryan Sessegnon.

Liverpool took the lead through Mohamed Salah after just 11 minutes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but Spurs hit the post shortly after that and Antonio Conte's side were then frustrated as their appeals for a spot-kick were waved away.

Alexander-Arnold appeared to push Sessegnon in the area after 22 minutes in an action similar to the one which saw Manchester City's Joao Cancelo concede a penalty – and earn himself a red card – against Fulham on Saturday.

Replays showed Sessegnon may have been looking for the contact, but there was a shove from Alexander-Arnold and he can perhaps consider himself fortunate that referee Andrew Madley decided to wave away Spurs' protests.

VAR also decided not to intervene and Liverpool went 2-0 up – through Salah again – following a calamitous error by Tottenham defender Eric Dier.

That leaves Tottenham with a mountain climb following yet another poor first-half showing, with Liverpool on course for their first win away from home in the Premier League this season.