Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool reacts towards Referee Chris Kavanagh after he awards a penalty to Manchester City following a foul on Jeremy Doku of Manchester City (not pictured) by Giorgi Mamardashvili of Liverpool (not pictured) during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Liverpool at Etihad Stadium on November 09, 2025 in Manchester, England.placeholder image
Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool reacts towards Referee Chris Kavanagh after he awards a penalty to Manchester City following a foul on Jeremy Doku of Manchester City (not pictured) by Giorgi Mamardashvili of Liverpool (not pictured) during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Liverpool at Etihad Stadium on November 09, 2025 in Manchester, England. | Getty Images
Liverpool were controversially denied a goal in their 3-0 loss to Manchester City on Sunday afternoon
The Reds were 1-0 down after being the second best side in the first half but appeared to have equalised through Virgil van Dijk’s impressive header on 38 minutes. That goal was disallowed as Andy Robertson was stood in an offside position and deemed to be impacting the play.
City went to score in first-half stoppage time with seven minutes added due to VAR checks. Liverpool looked brighter in the early phases of the second half but the game was ended by a Jeremy Doku goal just after the hour.
However, had the game been 1-1 at half-time as opposed to 2-0 - there would have been a completely different complexion on the game for the second half. Liverpool were second best but still created chances and the awarding of the goal had the potential to completely change the narrative of the fixture. However, it wasn’t to be.
Why was Virgil van Dijk goal disallowed?
There is no arguing Robertson was in an offside position when Van Dijk headed the ball toward goal. However, replays show he did not clearly impact the eyeline of Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The Premier League Match Centre explained: “The referee’s call of offside and no goal to Liverpool was checked and confirmed by VAR – with Robertson in an offside position and deemed to be making an obvious action directly in front of the goalkeeper.”
However, this statement explaining the decision is completely out of touch with fact and reality, in Liverpool World’s opinion. That is because the offside law actually states, per the Football Association website that an offside offence is committed in this instance if a player makes an “obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball.”
Robertson ducked out of the way of the header and quite simply did not “clearly impact” Donnarumma’s ability to play the ball. It is baffling the goal was ruled out, quite frankly. The explanation from the Premier League Match Centre also failed to provide the full context around the law.
An “obvious action” in itself is not enough to rule a goal out, it needs to be deemed to clearly impact the opponent.
Ex-PGMOL chief blasts decision to rule out ‘perfectly good’ Liverpool goal
PGMOL chief Keith Hackett did not agree with the decision to rule the goal out.
“We know there is a degree of subjectivity in this specific law, but lets have a look at it. A player in an offside position at the moment the ball is played or touched by a team mate is only penalised on becoming involved in active play by interfering with play, by playing or touching a ball passed or touched by a team mate or interfering with an opponent by preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play by clearly obstructing the opponents line of vision or challenging an opponent for the ball.
“Yes he’s [Robertson] in an offside position but that in itself is not an offence. Did he really interfere with the goalkeeper? I think the goalkeeper had a clear line of sight, he could’ve saved it, he didn’t the ball went in and the officials took the easy decision to give offside and rule out the goal.
“Wrong in my opinion. Yes I agree a degree of subjectivity around this law, but my opinion is I don’t like good goals being ruled out.“
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