The Liverpool fans have reason to complain about the referees’ performance this season. Despite the undeniable fact that poor finishing and individual errors have hindered Liverpool’s hopes of securing more than just one minor trophy, the Carabao Cup, so far, it’s also impossible to overlook the referees’ mistakes, including those made with the VAR technology, which have cost Liverpool crucial points multiple times.
Below are 5 terrible decisions by the referees that have affected the Reds of Merseyside.
5. Decision to disallow Cody Gakpo’s goal in the match against West Ham.
Referee Anthony Taylor disallowed Gakpo’s legitimate goal.
First, let’s begin with Liverpool’s most recent match, which was their away game against West Ham last Saturday. In this crucial encounter, Jurgen Klopp’s team faced a controversial decision from the main referee, Anthony Taylor.
Goalkeeper Alphonse Areola threw the ball far to prepare for a goal kick. Forward Cody Gakpo spotted a sudden opportunity and immediately ran towards it to attempt a shot, but just at that moment, Mr. Taylor blew the whistle to prevent the Dutch international from shooting. According to the rules, it was a situation where Gakpo had every right to take a legitimate shot on goal.
4. The red card shown to Curtis Jones in the match against Tottenham Hotspur.
Curtis Jones in the match against Tottenham at the beginning of the season.
In all of Liverpool’s matches this season, the 1-2 loss to Spurs last September is considered the toughest one. While Joel Matip’s own goal at the end of the match was the main reason for that, the referee’s performance also played a significant part in this result.
When Liverpool was leading, Curtis Jones had an incident with Yves Bissouma. After consulting VAR, referee Simon Hooper showed the 23-year-old midfielder a red card. Interestingly, slow-motion replays after the match showed that it was actually the Liverpool midfielder who touched the ball first.
3. Rejecting a penalty claim in the match against Manchester City.
Alexis Mac Allister was fouled inside the penalty area in the match against Manchester City.
In March, Klopp’s team, then in top form, welcomed the reigning Premier League champions, Manchester City. The final result of the match was 1-1, but the home team had reason to complain afterwards that they should have earned all 3 points.
Liverpool applied immense pressure towards the end, and one of their attacking moves sparked controversy. Jeremy Doku made a reckless challenge by kicking straight into Alexis Mac Allister’s chest, yet after consulting VAR, referee Michael Oliver decided that no penalty was warranted.
2. Refusing to award a penalty for the handball situation involving Martin Odegaard.
Odegaard used his hand to play the ball in the match against Liverpool late last year.
It seems like Liverpool hasn’t been getting full fairness from the referees in big matches this season. One of those instances occurred in the clash against Arsenal last December, where both the main referee and the VAR technology failed to detect a blatant handball by the Gunners’ captain. Slow-motion footage clearly showed that it should have been a penalty for Liverpool.
1. Disallowed goal by Luis Diaz in the match against Tottenham Hotspur.
VAR didn’t recognize Diaz’s valid goal in the match against Spurs last September.
In the away trip to Spurs last September, with the score at 0-0, the Colombian forward executed a clever run to receive a pass from Mohamed Salah in the 34th minute. He then shot past goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, a perfectly legitimate goal. However, for some reason, VAR technology deemed Luis Diaz offside, leading to the main referee Simon Hooper’s decision to disallow this goal.
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