Expert Panel Confirms VAR Decision on Liverpool's Disallowed Goal
An expert panel has ruled that Liverpool's controversial disallowed goal against Manchester City was correctly upheld by the video assistant referee (VAR).
However, the Premier League's Key Match Incidents (KMI) panel, which evaluates significant refereeing decisions weekly, was divided on the matter.
The five-member panel voted three to two, asserting that the initial decision to disallow the goal was incorrect, yet they also concluded that VAR was justified in not intervening.
Liverpool captain Virgil Van Dijk believed he had equalized in the 38th minute at the Etihad Stadium earlier this month, but City ultimately secured a 3-0 victory.
Referee Chris Kavanagh and assistant Stuart Burt disallowed the goal, citing that Andy Robertson had committed an offside offense by ducking under the ball as it approached the goal.
This decision was supported by the VAR team, which included Michael Oliver and Tim Wood, who argued that Robertson's actions could have influenced goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Liverpool subsequently reached out to the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) to express their concerns, arguing that the criteria for an offside offense were not satisfied.
The KMI Panel, which comprises three former players and one representative each from the Premier League and PGMO, voted 3-2 against the offside call while also agreeing 3-2 that VAR was correct to remain uninvolved.
This highlights the subjective nature of such decisions, which referees' chief Howard Webb characterized as "not unreasonable." The KMI Panel's findings indicated that a majority felt Robertson was not in the goalkeeper's line of vision during the header, and his actions did not clearly affect Donnarumma's ability to save the ball, suggesting the goal should have been awarded.
Nonetheless, two panel members considered the situation a clear and obvious error, while one member believed that Robertson's movement in front of the goalkeeper justified the initial decision, leading to a split outcome.
The KMI Panel operates by making two separate judgments, evaluating both the laws of the game and the expectations for refereeing in the Premier League. The on-field decision is determined by a simple vote, while VAR intervention is assessed based on whether there was a clear and obvious error.
This structure allows the KMI Panel to conclude that an on-field call might have been preferable while still justifying the original decision, thus supporting the lack of VAR involvement.
VAR Error on Brentford Penalty Claim
The KMI Panel did identify a VAR error in the Brentford vs. Newcastle match, where Dango Ouattara was booked for simulation after claiming a penalty following a challenge by Dan Burn in the 61st minute.
The panel unanimously agreed that Burn committed a careless tripping offense on Ouattara, warranting a penalty kick.
However, the panel was divided regarding the VAR outcome, with the majority deeming it a clear and obvious error (2-3) due to the evident mistake in not awarding a penalty. The minority argued that the referee's decision should stand, as the contact was minimal.
All other refereeing decisions from the weekend were upheld, including a unanimous 5-0 vote confirming that referee Craig Pawson was correct in not awarding a penalty to Arsenal after Sunderland defender Dan Ballard struck Mikel Merino with his elbow.
The panel stated, "The on-field call of no penalty was supported, as Ballard's contact was deemed a result of a normal footballing action in challenging for the ball."