A storm is brewing in the Premier League and Liverpool is at its centre thanks to an unfortunate VAR controversy.
The Video Assistant Referee technology has been both a blessing and a curse in modern football since it’s widespread adoption following the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. It has prevented referees from making erroneous calls that cost teams games and it has also made some erroneous calls which, upon review, were discovered to have cost teams games.
It has especially been a big issue in English football where the referees have been one of the most scrutinised in the football world. The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) who are in charge of Premier League games every season have constantly issued apologies to slighted teams.
Last season, it was a big mess as Arsenal, who were title challengers, were issued apologies for matches which cost them five points in their title challenge. The Gunners ended up losing the league to Manchester City by the same amount if points, leading many to accuse the PGMOL of sabotage.
This season, the PGMOL have issued three apologies already with Liverpool being the latest.
The Reds lost their matchday 7 game to Tottenham Hotspur by a narrow margin. In the course of the match, they had a goal denied without VAR intervention. Upon review, it was discovered that the goal should have stood and that VAR failed to review the referee’s decision.
The decision caused Liverpool to lose their status as one of the remaining uneaten teams in the league and in Europe. Liverpool have now rejected the PGMOL’s apology with a statement of their own.
In their statement, they have called for action to be taken as they have lost points which could potentially see them lose out on the title race.
“We fully accept the pressures that match officials work under but these pressures are supposed to be alleviated, not exacerbated, by the existence and implementation of VAR,” the statement, released on their official website, reads.
“It is therefore unsatisfactory that sufficient time was not afforded to allow the correct decision to be made and that there was no subsequent intervention.
“That such failings have already been categorised as ‘significant human error’ is also unacceptable. Any and all outcomes should be established only by the review and with full transparency.”
They went on to call for the PGMOL to learn from their errors so that they do not make decisions that negatively affect all clubs, then ended the statement with their resolve to seek a solution to their latest issue.
“In the meantime, we will explore the range of options available, given the clear need for escalation and resolution,” the statement ended.
It is unclear how Liverpool intend to seek resolution over the lost points given that football’s one iron-clad rule is the non-reversal of match outcomes. It will make an interesting case for the media and it could be one that changes the course of football officiating.
