Liverpool Reaches Out to PGMOL Over Disallowed Virgil van Dijk Goal in Loss to Manchester City
Overview
Liverpool has reached out to Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) to express their concerns about the officiating decision that disallowed Virgil van Dijk’s goal during their 3-0 loss to Manchester City.
Match Details
In the match, with Manchester City leading by a goal, Van Dijk scored a header that was ruled out after a review by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). The officials determined that Andrew Robertson had been offside, as he was positioned in front of the goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and was deemed to have directly interfered by ducking in front of him.
However, Liverpool strongly disagrees with this assessment. According to them, the criteria necessary to disallow Van Dijk’s goal based on the current rules were not satisfied, thereby questioning referee Chris Kavanagh’s decision during the 38th minute of the match.
Analysis of the Situation
Liverpool’s management has assessed multiple video angles and disputes the claim that Donnarumma’s visibility was impaired by Robertson’s positioning. They are perplexed as to why the VAR review, overseen by Michael Oliver, did not result in the goal being awarded.
Though the club acknowledges the result of the match, they decided to contact Howard Webb, the head of PGMOL. They wish to ensure that this incident does not pass without appropriate challenge and scrutiny.
Offside Rule Clarification
The relevant Law 11 states that a player is only penalized for being offside if they become active by:
- Interfering with play by playing or touching a ball passed or touched by a teammate;
- Interfering with an opponent by obstructing their line of sight or challenging them;
- Making an obvious action that impacts an opponent’s ability to play the ball.
Conclusion
Liverpool’s stance indicates a strong belief that the ruling against Van Dijk’s goal was unjustified, and they are seeking clarification and possible changes to how such decisions are made going forward.