Explosive VAR Blunder Rocks Liverpool: Stunning Error on Luis Diaz Goal Leaves Football World in Shock

Dermot Gallagher analyzed an extended Ref Watch, highlighting the poor performance of VAR in the Premier League over the weekend. Of particular interest was a wrongly disallowed goal for Liverpool's Luis Diaz due to an offside call. Jurgen Klopp's team faced Tottenham on Saturday, and during the game, Diaz received a pass from Mo Salah and successfully scored against Spurs' goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario from a challenging angle.

Despite Diaz being onside, the offside flag was raised, and the decision was not overruled by VAR. Mistakenly, VAR thought the on-field decision was to award the goal, when it was not. As a result, despite realizing that Diaz was onside, VAR Darren England relayed a message of 'check complete' and ruled out the goal.

Gallagher further disclosed that the VAR team failed to notify referee Simon Hooper about the mistake until halftime.

Only 40 seconds elapsed between Diaz's shot finding the back of the net and play resuming, and a mere 10 seconds passed between TV viewers witnessing the initiation of a VAR review and its conclusion.

After losing the game 2-1, Liverpool received an apology from the PGMOL and they have expressed their determination to explore all possible options. Gallagher, a former Premier League referee, referred to it as his most challenging matchday, attributing the difficulties to a lack of focus and judgement from the VAR. He further explained that instead of verifying the on-field decision, the VAR made a judgment based on personal opinion rather than the information provided.

"It allowed the game to restart, and once it had restarted - the damage is done.

"Offside is the on-field decision. Without VAR, it still would've been offside.

VAR is present to monitor each goal. Initially, he believed it was a goal and had the impression that a goal had been awarded on the field. Consequently, he conducted a verification and confirmed its validity.

However, he was accompanied by an AVAR, an assistant who specializes in assessing offside situations. It has left people perplexed as to why he did not intervene and acknowledge that the assistant had already signaled an offside.

Darren England's error escalated when his colleague, who should have also noticed the mistake, became involved.

The events on Saturday left me stunned. It was the most challenging day I have ever experienced at work during a match day.

"I cannot comprehend the task of explaining and speculating on what has occurred to individuals who are in a location separate from mine. That is the aspect I struggle to grasp."

In a statement issued by Liverpool, they expressed that the controversy severely compromised the integrity of the sport.

Gallagher, however, expressed his disagreement with the point by stating, "To be honest, I don't comprehend what that signifies. I genuinely don't."

He further acknowledged that mistakes are a common occurrence among referees, including himself, saying, "Referees make mistakes all the time. Throughout We News' 25-year history, you can discover numerous errors made by me."

"It's a very, very bad mistake, no doubt about that, but it's a mistake."

Why didn't the VAR team stop the game?

Fans and pundits have been questioning whether managers should allow the opposing team to score when a goal is surrounded by controversy. One notable incident occurred in England's Championship in 2019. Former Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa gained acclaim when he opted to let Aston Villa score after Jonathan Kodjia sustained an injury during the build-up to Leeds' first goal.

Football Show pundit Stephen Warnock expressed his perspective on the potential course of events that transpired on Saturday. According to him, Liverpool's goal was undeniably valid in terms of maintaining the game's integrity. However, the rulebook becomes irrelevant in such situations, and the crucial aspect becomes employing common sense.

The VAR informs the referee of their mistake, acknowledging that they have embarrassed him and emphasizing the need to rectify their error. This could be done by the VAR approaching the side of the pitch and notifying the managers and captains about the mistake, recommending that the goal be awarded to Liverpool and allowing them to score.

"The PGMOL could have provided a clear announcement to ensure everyone's understanding, but unfortunately, the current situation has turned into complete chaos. Nevertheless, according to the IFAB rules on VAR, play cannot be resumed in such circumstances."

Rule 10 specifies that the referee is prohibited from conducting a "review" unless it pertains to mistaken identity or a potential sending-off offence involving violent conduct, spitting, biting, or extremely offensive, insulting, and/or abusive actions. In this context, Gallagher clarified that if he halts the game and awards a penalty, but his assistant informs him that there was no foul committed, he is permitted to reconsider his decision.

I can do that until the moment I resume playing. After that, the decision is final and the game continues. The VAR believed it was a goal, which is the main mistake.

I have been assured that he did not inform the referee about his error from the 34th minute until halftime.

Gallagher asserts that the PGMOL should reiterate the VAR process with their officials in order to prevent a recurrence of the same error. He suggests the need to clarify the process, the officials' duties, and ensure that everyone participates in the decision-making process.

Their purpose is to carry out that task and participate in the process accurately, ensuring that everyone is thoroughly involved. This process must be completed properly.

It is not advisable to simply think, "We want to expedite and resume the game." Even if it takes an additional 30 seconds, as it might have in this case, it could have prevented me from having to remain here until 12:15 pm today for an extended Ref Watch.

And then there are the two red cards...

Gallagher, together with Warnock and fellow The Football Show pundit Sue Smith, thoroughly analyzed the series of events.

Jones was given a red card for a late tackle on Yves Bissouma. Initially, he received a yellow card from Simon Hooper, but it was later changed to a red card following a VAR review.

GALLAGHER STATES: "This incident bears resemblance to [Chelsea's] Malo Gusto's against Aston Villa, illustrating a consistent approach where similar incidents occur."

SMITH SAYS: "The still image makes the situation appear worse than it was in real time. It would have been better if they also showed the incident in real time. He didn't intend to harm him, his action was just going over the top of the ball, and the still image distorts the severity of the situation, influencing the decision-maker."

WARNOCK SAYS: "To begin with, it is not possible to implant thoughts into someone's mind."

First and foremost, you must present them with the complete sequence. Personally, I didn't believe it warranted a red card, yet opinions will likely be divided equally on this matter. One can take either side of the argument.

WHAT OCCURRED: Jota received two yellow cards during the match against Tottenham, both for fouls committed against Destiny Udogie.

GALLAGHER ASSERTS: "The initial yellow card, as per the referee's perspective, does appear as though he tripped him, but it doesn't seem that way from the side angle.

The referee had conversed with him right before and it's a gradual process. The issue here is that the referee lacks the luxury of having multiple angles to refer to during the game."

Warnock expresses his opinion on the matter, stating that it is a challenging situation. He emphasizes that VAR is already facing difficulties, and now there is an expectation for them to use VAR to determine if it should be considered a yellow card. He mentions that he and others have discussed the incident and concluded that it should not be deemed a yellow card due to it being a natural football movement.

"It revolves around players grasping the game - without undermining the difficult task faced by referees, who arguably have the most challenging role within the sport.

"Never missing a beat, Jota seamlessly maintains his momentum. In a hypothetical scenario where Sue stood before me and I desired to impede her, a flick of my ankle would visibly alter the fluidity of her stride."

"That gap between players and referees, it needs to be closer and it needs to be bridged."