Peter Walton blames Andy Robertson for starting confrontation with assistant referee

At half-time of the Liverpool v Arsenal game, assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis threw his hand at Andy Robertson's neck after the Reds left-back approached him. Bizarrely, the Scotsman was booked.

Former Premier League referee Peter Walton sides with Hatzidakis over the incident — here's why.

"Of course, Constantine Hatzidakis should not have pushed his elbow towards Andrew Robertson," Walton said, as quoted by the Mirror. "All officials have a duty to uphold standards and the PGMOL probe may bring a reprimand.

"However, I believe the available replays make the incident look worse than it probably was. Robertson went over to the assistant, and Hatzidakis then motions in the Liverpool left back's direction. The quality of the footage makes more than speculation difficult.

"Regardless, this episode is emblematic of the heightening tensions between players and officials. It is also worth emphasising that Robertson instigated the dispute by unnecessarily approaching Hatzidakis, as the confronting of referees and their assistants continues."