Dominik Szoboszlai said Liverpool might need to dive to get a penalty in the future after Alexander Isak was denied a spot-kick when he stayed on his feet against Arsenal.

Striker Isak had his shirt tugged by defender Jurrien Timber in Arsenal’s 1-0 win on Sunday but referee Andy Madley did not give Liverpool the decision.

Vice-captain Szoboszlai believes Liverpool players do not normally go to ground but thinks they may have to resort to more dramatic reactions to persuade officials to intervene.

“It’s a penalty,” he said. “I don’t know what they expect from us: to dive or something. I don’t think we are the type of team or players to do that but from now on we might need to do it. If Alex falls down it’s a clear penalty. Timber doesn’t really care about the ball and maybe if he doesn’t pull Alex’s shirt Alex can head it in the goal.”

Szoboszlai feels Liverpool are not the most streetwise of teams, adding: “It is not our type of play. I don’t think in this moment you can think this way that: ‘Oh, let me wait for someone touching me and I’ll fall down’.

“No, he is focusing on the ball and he wants to head the ball in the net. But if you interfere with your hand on his back then he might not do it, then you take a chance from his point of view and it’s a penalty.”

Szoboszlai made his return from a hamstring injury as a replacement and admitted he rushed his comeback earlier when he started against Brentford but came off after half an hour.

“The last three seasons I want to play every 90 minutes but sometimes your body says ‘rest a little bit’ and my body told me to ‘stay calm, you’ve had enough games now’,” he explained.

“I missed games against [Manchester] City and LASK and then I felt again very good after a couple of days off but it seemed I wasn’t ready but sometimes it is my heart and I listen to my heart and not my body. These decisions I made with what happened in the last weeks so today was the plan to come in – I was actually ready from the start but I’ve played 30 minutes and let’s see from now on.”