I bet Liverpool Football Club sent a message to the PGMO (they handle the referees) saying, “Hey, what gives with that disallowed goal?”
The big issue? Virgil van Dijk headed the ball, and it went in, but the ref said “No goal!”
It happened on Sunday, and Man City was winning 1-0 at the 38th minute, which made the Reds super grumpy.
The referee, Chris Kavanagh, didn’t let it stand, and then VAR (Video Assistant Referee) guy, Michael Oliver, agreed, keeping the goal disallowed.
VAR believed that Andy Robertson, another Liverpool player, was offside when the ball was kicked.
Robertson was “deemed to be making an obvious action” by ducking so close to the keeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, even though the ball was already past him.
This decision, it truly confused lots of people and caused a big argument about the rule.
Liverpool Says ‘You’re Wrong!’
But Liverpool really thinks this call is wrong!
Their whole team doesn’t think Robertson’s little ducking move hurt Donnarumma’s ability to see or save the shot.
They are really bewildered by this VAR decision, they called the main ref boss, Howard Webb (PGMO’s head), to formally say the ruling was wrong.
They’re mainly talking about Law 11, the rule about offside and if you get in the way of an opponent.
Law 11 states a player only gets caught offside if he actively gets involved by getting in the way or interfering with another player.
Interfering, that might be things like getting in the way so the opponent can’t see the ball, or fighting for the ball, or doing something obvious that makes it harder for the other guy to play the ball.
Liverpool’s main point: Robertson did none of those bad things.
Coach Slot is Upset, But Calm
Their coach, Arne Slot, wouldn’t say that bad goal call was the only reason they lost 3-0 in Pep Guardiola’s 1,000th game managing.
However, Slot did insist that the refs made a “clear and obvious error”, the referee and the VAR guys.
“He didn’t interfere with what the goalkeeper could do at all,” Slot explained after the game.
Slot even told the media someone had quickly shown him a different goal, one that was allowed for City against Wolves last season, and the same referee was working that game, too!
This whole thing with the goal being disallowed felt like such a frustration for Liverpool.
He mentioned that the linesman took 13 seconds to wave his flag for offside against City that one time.
“So there was clearly communication,” Slot added, meaning the refs took time on that City goal but were so quick this time.
But Coach Slot admitted, “being 2-0 down at half-time was a fair reflection of how the game went”, showing he knows they played bad.
Poor Wirtz and Team Struggles
Adding to the worries, Liverpool new player, Florian Wirtz, is being criticized because he’s playing slowly.
Germany’s coach, Julian Nagelsmann, spoke up for Wirtz, saying the whole team’s struggles made it hard for the young player to fit in.
“To be honest, the overall situation doesn’t make it easy for Flo,” Nagelsmann said about the team.
“The whole club isn’t as stable this year as it was last year,” so it’s harder for him to slip into the team now, the Germany coach explained.
Nagelsmann even looked at the Man City game, he said they were the worse team for the whole 90 minutes.
“So it’s also difficult for Flo to make a big impact,” Nagelsmann explained, suggesting he just needs “a little more time, which is normal.”
Wirtz really needs support from his teammates, said Nagelsmann.
He finished his thought: “We all need to support him a little bit so that he can clear his head here, and then maybe Liverpool could also help him out by scoring some of the chances he creates.”
The coach noted, “they somehow don’t like to shoot the ball in, that’s also part of the truth.”
What Happens Next?
Liverpool’s complaint really shows how much people argue about VAR and how they decide what’s offside.
The main thing is, consistency in applying the rules is a big source of anger for both the teams and the fans.
Everyone will be watching closely to see how the PGMO responds to Liverpool’s request for clarity.
The result of Liverpool’s complaint could actually change how VAR is used in the Premier League.
With so much on the line in every single match, clear and consistent refereeing is super important.
