Campbell and Carragher back Gordon over 'stonewall' penalty claim

Kevin Campbell has said he felt the referee 'bottled' a decision to give his former side, Everton, a penalty at Anfield on Sunday afternoon. 

With the score level at 0-0, Anthony Gordon, who had caused Liverpool trouble all afternoon, ran through and went down after being bundled over by Joel Matip.

Referee Stuart Atwell waved away the visiting side's protests and Liverpool went on to win 2-0 thanks to goals from Andy Robertson and Divock Origi, who scored his sixth Merseyside derby goal.

Former Everton striker Campbell said he believed the referee 'bottled' the decision not to award the penalty. 

He said on Sky Sports after the game: 'This is a pen for me. It’s a push in the back. He’s in the box, it’s a push in the back. He’s nowhere near the ball, he pushes him.

'You see that. If that was at the other end, I’m sure this stadium would have gone crazy. That’s the one break that Everton needed,' he added. 

'I thought the referee bottled it a little bit, if I’m honest with you.'

Jamie Carragher warned Gordon to 'be careful' in the future and not garner himself a reputation as a cheat in the game. 

'He’s got to be careful, Anthony Gordon,' he said. 'He’s a great lad and a great player, one of the best players on the pitch today, caused Liverpool massive problems.'

'But he’s just got to be careful of that, it’s not the first time, the one in the first half, and it definitely will be in referee’s heads,' he added. 

Graeme Souness, on punditry duty alongside Campbell and Carragher, said Gordon's first-half dive had 'planted a seed' of doubt in the referee's head and could have counted against the player later on. 

'He’s planted a seed in the referee’s head, in the very first few minutes when he dived to try and get a