Iraola to tell Alexander Isak to go to ground next time as Liverpool denied 'clear penalty' in Arsenal loss

Andoni Iraola was out-scrapped by his old pal as Mikel Arteta as Liverpool scratched and clawed but couldn't find an equalizer in a tight and tense 1-0 loss to Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday.

But might it have been 1-1 earlier in the game had Alexander Isak dove to the ground after a clear shirt pull slowed his attempted header of a free kick?

Iraola thinks so, and is lamenting his team's failure to turn dominance into goals, including that non-penalty. Iraola said he'll tell Isak to go to the ground next time, calling the fact that Isak not winning a penalty in part because he didn't dive is "a problem for the game."

The loss leaves Liverpool nine points off the top of the table on a day they could've put themselves into the title conversation by moving three back of Man City and Arsenal.

Andoni Iraola reaction from Liverpool's tight clash with Arsenal

Thoughts on the game: "I liked the attitude. Probably our worst part was until we conceded a goal. The reaction to that was very good. We put them under pressure and had some good chances but couldn't find the equalizer."

Why couldn't you finish chances? "You have to give credit to them. The goal comes when we mess up a goal kick and we still had possession to defend it a lot better. We had 7-8 guys but didn't defend it properly. The players then gave everything."

"There were long periods where we pressed really well, really high. When you are losing 1-0 it gives you less merit because they can be on the defensive side. We won a lot of duels against them and I cannot ask more of my players' willingness to go."

"We had big chances. We hit the cross bar. We had real good chances. We should finish better. This is easy to see but the reason was the start of the game that put them in a big advantage,."

Should you have had a penalty? "The Gakpo one was sustained holding but definitely the Alex [Isak] one was a clear one. They hold the tee shirt and he's going to head the ball in but he doesn't go to the ground."

Should he have gone to the ground? "That's the probnlmwe have in the game because he doesn't dive — the fact that you are asking if he should go to the floor. It is what it is. I should tell Alex next time he has to go to the floor."

Will you tell him that? "Yes definitely."