Liverpool easily dispatched Manchester United when the two sides met at Old Trafford on Sunday with the Merseysiders scoring three goals with no reply to continue their perfect start to the Premier League season.
The match was defined by Liverpool’s free-flowing and incisive football which Erik ten Hag’s Red Devils could not cope with.
Goals from Luis Diaz (2) and Mohamed Salah were enough to win the game but despite the efficiency with which Liverpool put themselves in a winning position, they were once again left feeling hard done by VAR.
The video assistant referee for the match was John Brooks and he failed to award a penalty for a foul on Cody Gakpo in the box.
Neil Mellor explains why VAR made a major mistake during United v Liverpool
Cody Gakpo. Credit: Imago Images
While the lack of a penalty being awarded did not ultimately harm Liverpool’s ability to win the game, that is not the point.
Since VAR was added to the Premier League, it has come in for huge criticism and it appears we are still not at the point where it can be fully trusted by supporters.
Taking to Twitter on Monday evening, former Liverpool star Neil Mellor vented his confusion at why Gakpo wasn’t awarded a penalty when he was fouled by Noussair Mazraoui just inside the 18-yard area.
He said: “Referee sees foul on Gakpo and indicates advantage…
“Nunez shoots wide.
“Contact was inside the area… so why hasn’t VAR told him he was right and contact in area so should be a pen?
“Baffling decision.”
https://x.com/NeilMellor33/status/1830632161336271124
Former referee Dermot Gallagher shares his perspective on the incident
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, Gallagher was asked about a variety of incidents including the Gakpo penalty call.
“The referee makes the decision, he’s very close when it happens,” he said.
“There is a touch, he does step on his foot.
“Does he do that because he’s put it in front of him? On-field call, you’re never going to have the VAR go against him because he’s got the best view.”
Verdict
Credit: Imago Images
As mentioned above, whether or not it impacted the result is irrelevant.
Gallagher says Taylor didn’t award the penalty in real time and that’s why VAR didn’t get involved which would indicate that VAR policy is the issue in this case.
However, Taylor’s decision to award advantage proves he saw it as a foul. What he didn’t know was whether it was in the box which VAR John Brooks could have told him…
How is it that the Premier League and PGMOL cannot realise how many of their own rules and policies are the reason proper and accurate refereeing is not prevalent at the moment?
After the disastrous role VAR played in Liverpool’s 2023/24 season, we can only hope that won’t be repeated but after watching the opening three weeks of the Premier League, it appears as though the same level of incompetence will prevail this season.
