Graeme Souness makes Leeds penalty claim after Patrick Bamford incident

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Graeme Souness has told Sky Sports (broadcast on 14/2; 18:54) that Leeds United had a great shout for a penalty turned down during the second-half of their defeat to Arsenal on Sunday.

The Whites looked to be out of their game against the Gunners at the Emirates. They were 4-0 down two minutes into the second-half and had made a number of errors.

However, their fightback started shortly after. Pascal Struijk and Helder Costa both scored for Marcelo Bielsa’s side. And Leeds threatened to set up an even nervier finish to the game.

Patrick Bamford went down inside the box after running through alongside Cedric Soares and Gabriel Magalhaes. The referee, and the VAR, decided that nothing was wrong with the challenge.

But following the game, Souness insisted that Leeds could feel hard done by to not get the decision on that occasion.

“I think a great shout,” he told Sky Sports, when asked if Leeds had a shout for a penalty. “Apart from anything, it was a great move. Slick passing, one touch. Brilliant.

“And when we see it from another angle, no Arsenal player touches the ball here. The last touch comes from Bamford and he’s just taken out. I’m sorry, he’s sandwiched between two players.”

TBR View: Penalty shout may divide fans

It is likely to be a decision that divides who were watching. Some will feel, like Souness, that Bamford was unfairly blocked.

Meanwhile, others may suggest that the Arsenal pair do a good job of closing off Bamford’s route to the ball.

Had Leeds been given a penalty and scored, it would have been a fascinating end to the game. The Whites would have had 15 minutes to potentially complete one of the most remarkable comebacks in Premier League history.

Unfortunately for them, the referee did not share the same opinion as Souness.