Virgil Van Dijk Latest News
Virgil Van Dijk Latest News
Liverpool fans finally hear the conversation that ruled out Van Dijk’s header at the Etihad.
It was one of the most talked-about moments of the Manchester City vs Liverpool clash — Virgil van Dijk’s powerful header that found the net but didn’t count.
What seemed like a lifeline for Liverpool turned into another chapter in their VAR frustrations.
Now, the full VAR audio has been released, and it offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at how the officials came to their conclusion.
PGMOL chief Howard Webb has defended the decision, saying it was “not unreasonable” to disallow the goal — though many Liverpool supporters might feel otherwise.
Van Dijk’s goal came from a Mohamed Salah corner in the first half, but Andy Robertson was flagged for offside after appearing to block City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma’s view. The VAR team — led by Michael Oliver — reviewed the footage and backed the on-field decision.
The VAR discussion behind the disallowed call
Below is the full conversation that took place between referee Chris Kavanagh, assistant referee Stuart Burt, VAR Michael Oliver, and assistant VAR Tim Wood:
Man City vs Liverpool: VAR discussion for Van Dijk’s disallowed goal Speaker VAR Room Audio (Transcript)
Assistant referee spots issue Stuart Burt (AR) “Robertson, Robertson, Robertson. Robertson’s in line of vision, right in front of the keeper. He’s ducked under the ball. He’s very, very close to him. I think he’s line of vision. I think he’s been impacted, mate.”
On-field decision made Chris Kavanagh (Referee) “OK so, offside then.”
Confirmation Burt (AR) “I think offside.”
Official announcement Kavanagh (Referee) “On-field decision is offside.”
VAR check begins Michael Oliver (VAR) “So, you’ve got clear offside position. You’ve got movement… have you got a high-behind to show how high he is in terms of line of vision?”
Agreement from AVAR Tim Wood (AVAR) “I agree with the on-field decision. I think it’s offside. It’s a clear and obvious action which clearly impacts on the goalkeeper.”
VAR confirms outcome Oliver (VAR) “Chris, it’s Michael. Confirming the on-field decision of offside against Andy Robertson. He is in an offside position, very close to the goalkeeper and makes an obvious movement directly in front of him. Check complete, offside.”
Howard Webb: “Only Donnarumma truly knows…”
After the release, Howard Webb addressed the controversy on Match Officials Mic’d Up. He admitted the situation was “subjective,” saying,
“The officials have to make a judgment – did that clear action impact on Donnarumma and his ability to save the ball? That’s where the subjectivity comes into play.”
Webb insisted the officials’ call was fair given Robertson’s proximity and movement near the goalkeeper.
“Only Donnarumma truly knows if he was impacted by this,” Webb added, hinting at the thin line between interpretation and fact.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot had earlier compared the incident to a goal Manchester City scored at Wolves last season — one that wasn’t ruled out for a similar scenario.
But Webb defended the contrast, saying Bernardo Silva’s movement didn’t interfere with play the same way Robertson’s did.
A moment that changed the mood for Liverpool
The disallowed goal could have made it 1-1 and shifted the momentum. Instead, City went into halftime with a 2-0 lead and never looked back.
For Liverpool fans, it was déjà vu — another close call, another “subjective” decision, and another reason to sigh at the mention of VAR.