Liverpool’s struggles continue this season

A controversial disallowed goal

Recently, Liverpool faced a blow in their match against Manchester City when a critical Virgil van Dijk goal was disallowed due to an offside call involving Andy Robertson. The event added frustration for Liverpool, whose current form is far from their historic best.

What the review panel says

A Premier League review panel re-examined the incident and decided that the goal should have stood. Their findings show that Robertson’s actions did not affect Manchester City’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma enough to justify the offside decision.

The role of VAR

Despite agreeing with the panel’s conclusions, the VAR team decided not to reverse the on-field referee Chris Kavanagh’s decision. This shows a complicated situation as the VAR system only intervenes in obvious mistaken calls, making it difficult to overrule such plays.

Words from coach Arne Slot

Liverpool’s coach Arne Slot voiced his frustration following the match, disappointed that a clear oversight went unresolved. He remarked on the long time taken by the assistant referee to indicate an offside, suggesting communication issues during the decision-making process.

Looking forward for Liverpool

This incident marks another challenge in Liverpool’s already difficult season. With five Premier League losses, the team is struggling with both their performance stats and game strategy. This season, their pressing intensity is noticeably down by 20.4% compared to last year, signaling areas needing urgent focus under Slot’s guidance.