The contentious VAR call left Liverpool furious...
Virgil van Dijk sarcastically applauding the referee after decision to award penalty
(Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Liverpool have officially raised serious concerns with PGMOL chief Howard Webb following the controversial decision to disallow Virgil van Dijk’s goal in their 3-0 Premier League defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
The Reds are understood to have questioned the VAR interpretation of the offside law, which led to Van Dijk’s first-half equaliser being ruled out, a decision that changed the course of the game.
The incident occurred when Van Dijk powered home a header from a corner to seemingly level the score at 1-1, moments after Erling Haaland had put City ahead.
However, the goal was ruled out after assistant referee Chris Kavanagh and the VAR team concluded that Andy Robertson, positioned in an offside area, was interfering with play.
Why Virgil van Dijk’s goal was disallowed
According to the Premier League Match Centre, Robertson was “deemed to be making an obvious action directly in front of the goalkeeper,” Gianluigi Donnarumma, which was judged to have impacted his ability to play the ball — even though Robertson did not make contact and ducked under it.
Liverpool, however, argue that the video evidence does not support that conclusion, insisting that Robertson neither blocked Donnarumma’s line of sight nor affected his chance to stop the header, which went straight into the bottom corner.
After the match, Liverpool manager Arne Slot voiced his frustration, claiming that “the wrong decision has been made,” and referencing a similar incident last season in which a goal was allowed to stand.
The club have since contacted PGMOL to seek clarification on the application of Law 11, believing the ruling was inconsistent and overly subjective.
Liverpool’s poor performance overshadowed by controversy
While the disallowed goal could have changed the game’s momentum, Liverpool’s overall display left much to be desired.
The Reds produced one of their worst performances against Manchester City in recent memory, registering just one shot on target over 90 minutes. Defensively, they struggled to contain City’s fluid attack, with Nico González andJeremy Doku adding second-half goals to seal the 3-0 win for Pep Guardiola’s men.
Liverpool have now lost four consecutive away league matches and five overall, slipping to eighth in the Premier League table.
They currently sit 18th in the form table, with one win and four defeats in their last five Premier League games.
The mounting pressure on Arne Slot continues to grow as the Dutchman faces increasing scrutiny over the team’s form and tactical approach.