Liverpool's Struggles Highlighted in Draw Against Fulham
When manager Arne Slot and Liverpool reflect on this season, a tumultuous January afternoon that ended in a 2-2 draw against Fulham will encapsulate their challenges.
With top scorer Hugo Ekitike sidelined due to a muscle injury, Liverpool's difficulties were exacerbated when former player Harry Wilson opened the scoring in a first half where Slot's side failed to test Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
However, they equalized through a controversial goal from Florian Wirtz and appeared to have secured victory when Cody Gakpo scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
Yet, late substitute Harrison Reed struck a remarkable goal from 25 yards in the 97th minute, leaving Slot's team to drop points once again.
“Losing that game would have been completely unfair to us,” remarked Fulham manager Marco Silva.
Liverpool extended their unbeaten streak to nine games, but their ongoing issues were again on display.
“If you’re not part of Liverpool, you’d think we should win,” Slot stated. “But unfortunately, I’ve been experiencing this for months now—every time the other team gets a chance, it leads to a goal. The second thing is that the other team scores an unexpected goal in extra time. So, is it really a surprise?”
What surprised many at Craven Cottage was that Wirtz’s equalizer was confirmed after a VAR check, even though replays suggested he was in an offside position.
“I was sure it was offside, so I didn’t even celebrate,” Wirtz told Sky Sports.
“I felt the same. Many people inside the stadium felt the same,” Silva added. “It looked offside, but we have to trust that the semi-automated technology worked correctly.”
Why Did Wirtz's Equalizer Stand?
Wirtz appeared to be offside. So why was his goal allowed after a VAR review?
In the initial two seasons of VAR, there were numerous confusing offside decisions where the lines drawn for the defender and attacker overlapped.
Many criticized this approach as contrary to the spirit of the offside law.
Starting from the 2021-22 season, leagues implemented a tolerance level of about 5 cm, meaning that if the two lines touched, the player would be deemed onside, regardless of the on-field decision. This adjustment aimed to address inaccuracies in the technology, especially regarding the precise moment the ball was passed.
Consequently, a player could be marginally offside according to the technology but onside when the tolerance level was applied.
At the time, the referees’ body, Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), estimated this could lead to an additional 20 goals per season.
The introduction of semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) altered this system. Other leagues, including Germany, Spain, and Italy, reverted to measuring offside by the millimeter.
However, when the Premier League adopted SAOT, it chose to maintain the tolerance level to provide leeway for attackers, given that questions remained about the reliability of the new technology.
This is why situations like Wirtz's occur, where he appears marginally offside, yet SAOT grants him the benefit of the doubt.
'My Philosophy Hasn't Changed' - Slot
Wirtz’s goal came during a period where Liverpool displayed greater urgency after a lackluster first half, with Conor Bradley driving at Fulham's defense and setting up the German.
“I would love to create more chances, but given our midfield setup and one attacker against Fulham’s 5-4-1 formation, I’m not sure if we can expect a multitude of opportunities,” Slot explained.
“Overall, we did enough to win the game and limited them to perhaps one half-chance, but the final score remains.”
Slot insisted that his managerial principles have not changed, despite Liverpool’s recent struggles regarding performance quality.
“I haven’t changed as a manager. I would love to field eight attackers if defensively feasible, but if those eight attackers don’t contribute defensively, winning becomes difficult,” Slot stated.
“My football philosophy hasn’t shifted this year compared to previous seasons. However, we must work with the players available.”
Slot confirmed he opted not to risk Ekitike, who traveled to London but suffered from Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), especially with Alexander Isak also injured.
As Liverpool prepares to face league leaders Arsenal next, they will hope for Ekitike’s return on Thursday to provide a vital attacking option against the Premier League's best defense.