Carra - Pen award was wrong

Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher admits his side were handed what looked like an incorrect penalty against Sunderland on Sunday.

Referee Kevin Friend awarded Liverpool a spot-kick on the advice of his assistant, but it appeared that a challenge by Black Cats defender John Mensah on Jay Spearing occurred outside the box.

Dirk Kuyt converted for the Reds before Luis Suarez sealed a 2-0 win after the break, and Carragher accepts the first-half decision may have been a stroke of luck for his side.

He told Sky Sports News: "I thought it was a penalty, but then I looked at half-time and I don't think it was, was it? It was just outside.

"Everyone knows goals change games - up to then it had been pretty even and Sunderland had been putting a bit of pressure on.

"Every week you can look at different incidents and you can always say it changes the game.

"Maybe it has gone our way but thankfully we got the other (goal) to make sure so you could say we would still have won 1-0."

Carragher hailed the impact made by Suarez, who joined the Reds in January but was cup-tied for the Europa League, a competition Liverpool were eliminated from this week in his absence.

"Luis is a top player and he has given everyone a lift," he said. "Luis looked a top player and we missed him this week in Europe."

Source: Sky Sports

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