Alisson kicks out at substitution board after controversial penalty in Liverpool’s draw with Forest

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker directed his anger at a piece of touchline equipment after full time on Saturday, kicking a fourth official’s substitution board hard enough to leave a visible hole in it following his side’s 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest at Anfield. Footage captured the Brazilian striking the board as he headed towards the tunnel, while photographs later circulated showing the damaged equipment lying beside the pitch. The outburst came at the end of a chaotic afternoon in which Alisson had already been booked for protesting the award of a penalty to Forest.

The flashpoint that triggered much of the frustration occurred shortly before Forest took the lead for a second time. Liverpool had been attempting to complete a triple substitution when fourth official Tim Robinson was not ready with the electronic boards required to display the changes. The delay left the home side waiting. During that interval Forest took a quick throw-in, catching Liverpool’s reorganisation incomplete. The sequence ended with Alisson racing from his goal and challenging Neco Williams inside the penalty area. Contact was made, referee Sam Barrott pointed to the spot, and Morgan Gibbs-White converted the penalty to make the score 2-1 to the visitors.

Protests and a booking

Liverpool players immediately surrounded the referee in protest. Alisson, already agitated by the manner in which the move had developed, was shown a yellow card for his reaction. On the touchline, head coach Andoni Iraola remonstrated with Robinson over the time taken to prepare the substitution boards. The sense of injustice lingered long after the equaliser that eventually secured a point.

Iraola remained angry when he spoke to TNT Sports after the match. He made clear that he would review the penalty itself but reserved his strongest criticism for the procedural delay. “A professional fourth official cannot take three minutes for the subs,” he said. “We gave the subs two or three minutes before.” The Liverpool manager added that he had already been frustrated by an earlier stoppage in which a planned substitution could not be completed, and that he had explicitly called for the changes to be made before the throw-in was taken. “It has taken ages to prepare two boards,” he concluded, underscoring his view that the delay fell below acceptable professional standards.

Former referee’s assessment

Ex-Premier League official Mark Halsey offered a detailed view of the key moments in an interview with The Sun. On the penalty itself, Halsey judged that Alisson had clearly made contact with Williams and that the award was correct. He noted that VAR would not be expected to intervene because the decision fell into the category of subjective judgement rather than a clear and obvious error. Turning to the throw-in that preceded the incident, Halsey raised a possible technical issue. The laws require both feet to be on the ground behind the line when a throw is taken. Replays, he suggested, appeared to show Liam Delap with one foot raised, although the evidence was not conclusive. That detail, he said, remained a legitimate talking point.

Halsey also addressed the practical difficulty facing the fourth official. Operating two substitution boards as a single individual can take time, and Robinson had looked flustered. While that context explained some of the delay, it did not, in Liverpool’s view, excuse the length of the wait or the sporting consequence that followed.

Late equaliser and a winless start

Liverpool eventually restored parity through a late goal from Victor Munoz, denying Forest what would have been a significant away victory. The result left Iraola still searching for a first win as Liverpool head coach. The Reds have drawn both of their opening fixtures of the 2026/27 Premier League season, having previously shared a 2-2 draw with Newcastle United. Two points from two matches constitute a subdued beginning, and the manner of the Forest equaliser—conceded amid confusion over substitutions—added a layer of grievance to the statistical record.

For Alisson the afternoon ended with a booking, a sense of personal responsibility for the penalty, and a visible release of frustration against the substitution board. Goalkeepers are often the most exposed players when organisational breakdowns occur at the back; on this occasion the Brazilian’s attempt to intercept the quick Forest attack resulted in the decisive contact. His full-time kick at the board provided one of the most striking images of the match and ensured that discussion of the officials’ performance would continue long after the final whistle.

Officials under the spotlight

The combination of Iraola’s post-match comments, Halsey’s technical observations and Alisson’s physical reaction placed unusual focus on the fourth official’s role. Substitution procedures are normally routine. When they coincide with a rapid restart and a subsequent goal, any delay becomes magnified. Liverpool’s argument is that the numbers had been supplied in good time and that the wait was therefore avoidable. Forest, having taken advantage of the moment in accordance with the laws, left Anfield with a point earned through clinical use of the opportunity that arose.

Whether the Premier League or the refereeing body issues any further clarification remains to be seen. For the moment the episode stands as an illustration of how quickly a procedural hitch can escalate into a decisive passage of play and then into a wider controversy. Alisson’s damaged board served as a tangible emblem of Liverpool’s frustration—an afternoon on which a delayed substitution, a quick throw-in, a penalty and a late equaliser combined to leave the home side with only a point and a lengthy list of complaints.