The best team lost… we were denied a blatant penalty!
*Brendan Rodgers says Liverpool were denied blatant penalty at Arsenal
*With the score 2-1, Luis Suarez was clattered by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
*Arsenal advance to the FA Cup Sixth Round with victory
*Robbie Fowler blasts Webb on Twitter: ‘Our best ref apparently…’
Brendan Rodgers was seething after his Liverpool side were knocked out of the FA Cup, insisting referee Howard Webb denied them a ‘blatant penalty’.
Arsenal came out on top at the Emirates Stadium in the fifth round, beating the visitors 2-1 in frenetic game.
But Rodgers believes his side deserved to win, or at least gain a replay, especially when Luis Suarez was hacked down by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the box.
Goals from Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lukas Podolski had put Arsenal on their way to victory, before Steven Gerrard halved the deficit from the penalty spot.
But Rodgers felt they should have had another spot-kick when Suarez was felled by Oxlade-Chamberlain.
‘It was a blatant penalty. I don’t know why Howard didn’t give it but maybe it came too close to the first penalty. It should have been an easy decision,’ Rodgers said.
‘First one Luis [Suarez] gets clipped. Second one was clear but I’m not sure if it was because it was just after that. Luis got the ball and Alex has clipped him straight after that, it was strange.
‘The best team lost, we deserved at least a replay. It should have been 2-0 in the first 6-7 mins.’
Former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler blasted Webb on Twitter: ‘Our best ref apparently…how can you miss that? Shocking decision.’
Wenger added: ‘Maybe we were a bit lucky. I rate Suarez as a player. It is always difficult to know with him if it was genuine contact or if he made more of it.’
Arsenal will host Everton in the next round, after they saw off the challenge of Swansea at Goodison Park earlier in the day.
—Daily Mail
