VAR Decision on Wirtz Goal Supported by Premier League Panel

VAR Decision on Wirtz Goal Supported by Premier League Panel

VAR Decision on Wirtz Goal Supported by Premier League Panel

The Premier League's Key Match Incidents Panel has confirmed that the video assistant referee (VAR) made the correct decision in awarding Florian Wirtz's goal for Liverpool during their match against Fulham.

In the 57th minute at Craven Cottage, Liverpool was trailing 1-0 when Wirtz capitalized on a touch from Connor Bradley to score. Initially, the assistant referee raised his flag for offside against the German international.

However, VAR Andy Madley intervened, utilizing semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) to validate the goal. Wirtz benefited from a five-centimeter tolerance, commonly referred to as thicker lines, which is employed in the Premier League's version of SAOT.

Had the goal been scored in Germany, Italy, or Spain, it would have been disallowed as those leagues do not implement any tolerance levels.

The decision sparked controversy, as television images suggested that Wirtz was significantly ahead of the last defender. Nevertheless, the KMI Panel unanimously supported Madley's decision, stating: "The VAR intervention to award the goal was supported as correct, given the tight margin of the offside call and thicker offside lines used for these incredibly tight calls."

The match concluded in a 2-2 draw, with Fulham manager Marco Silva describing Wirtz's goal as “a clear offside” and seeking further clarification on the matter. Silva indicated that the club had reached out to the Professional Game Match Officials to lodge a complaint.

According to BBC Sport, the discrepancy arises from the frame chosen by the broadcaster. The VAR selected the moment when Bradley first made contact with the ball, rather than when it left his foot. The broadcaster's freeze-frame occurred one frame later, which created the impression that Wirtz was more evidently offside.

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