Gary Neville is interviewed ahead of the Premier League match between Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford on October 25, 2025 in Manchester, England.placeholder image
Gary Neville is interviewed ahead of the Premier League match between Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford on October 25, 2025 in Manchester, England. | Manchester United via Getty Imag
Liverpool were beaten 3-0 by Manchester City on Sunday afternoon but the result was not without controversy
With the Reds struggling to match the intensity of Man City, they looked to have responded to Erling Haaland’s first-half header when Virgil van Dijk rose highest to power home Mohamed Salah’s corner.
It took 13 seconds for the linesman to raise his flag and penalise the Reds for an offside against Andy Robertson. The Premier League Match Centre explained why the goal was ruled out: “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, the law in this case states that a player must “clearly impact” an opponent’s ability to play the ball when making an obvious action. Gianluigi Donnarumma did not get near the ball and replays show he was able to watch it the whole way as Robertson was not in his eyeline.
Despite the Scotsman not appearing to fulfil any of the requirements of the offside law, the decision was deemed to be correct by VAR official Michael Oliver.
Pundits disagree with decision to rule goal out
Liverpool manager Arne Slot said after the game it was "obvious and clear that the wrong decision has been made" to disallow the goal.
"The goalkeeper is not getting anywhere near that. He had a clear line of sight."
Former Liverpool man Danny Murphy said on BBC Sport: “That goal should stand. Robertson is not in Donnarumma's line of vision.”
While Murphy and Neville referred to the goalkeeper’s eyeline, the goal was ruled out as it was deemed Robertson impacted Donnarumma’s ability to play the ball. But Wayne Rooney felt this was not the case, as he said, also via BBC Sport: "I don't think Andy Robertson delayed Donnarumma diving. The City keeper can see the ball the whole way so I think that was the wrong decision."
Virgil van Dijk refuses to comment on disallowed goal
Asked about his goal being disallowed goal, Liverpool captain Van Dijk took the diplomatic route when discussing his feelings on the incident.
He said: "In football the officials are deciding the key decisions and we have to deal with it on the pitch.
“There is no point discussing this from my point of view. The reality is that we lost 3-0 and that is a big blow."It doesn't matter what I say [about the goal] because anything I say will be in the media and the whole international break will be about my comment on the decision. I just focus on the fact we lost. You guys can debate if it should have stood.
"In football the officials are deciding the key decisions and we have to deal with it on the pitch," Van Dijk said of his disallowed goal on Sky Sports. "There is no point discussing this from my point of view. The reality is that we lost 3-0 and that is a big blow.
"It doesn't matter what I say [about the goal] because anything I say will be in the media and the whole international break will be about my comment on the decision. I just focus on the fact we lost. You guys can debate if it should have stood.”
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