Paul Tierney’s apparent punishment for a mistake in Liverpool’s weekend win is that he’ll be on VAR in Arsenal’s match against Brentford on Saturday.

Paul Tierney made a mistake in Liverpool’s match against Nottingham Forest at the weekend, in an incident that ultimately led to a winning goal for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate went down holding his head in the penalty area after colliding with Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, and Tierney stopped play with Callum Hudson-Odoi of Nottingham Forest in possession outside of the penalty area.

Given the ball was last touched outside of the area when the whistle went, the rules state that it should have been returned to the team in possession, Nottingham Forest.

The only alternative would have been if Tierney was awarding a free-kick, as some Liverpool fans have suggested he should have for a high foot by Ryan Yates – albeit a high foot that made no contact with Konate.

But Tierney didn’t give a free kick, and he didn’t give possession back to Forest. Instead, bizarrely, he gave an uncontested drop ball to Liverpool.

Klopp’s side ran up to the other end of the pitch, and they remained in the Forest defensive third until their eventual goal a couple of minutes later.

Everything might have been different if Forest had received possession in Liverpool’s defensive third, particularly with so little time left on the clock. But Tierney’s mistake gave Liverpool a way out.

In an apparent punishment for his error, Tierney hasn’t been selected for a Premier League match for the upcoming weekend. However, he has been put on VAR duties for Arsenal’s home game against Brentford.

The official will hope he doesn’t do anything as disastrous as Lee Mason forgetting to draw the offside lines in the same fixture last season.