Liverpool’s dramatic clash with Manchester City took a controversial turn when Virgil van Dijk’s equalising goal was disallowed for offside. While many fans and pundits felt hard done by, the decision stood after a VAR review — and correctly so under current protocols.
The incident began when Van Dijk powered in a header from a corner, sending the ball past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. However, the assistant referee raised his flag for offside against Andy Robertson, who was positioned near the goal area. As the ball came toward him, Robertson appeared to influence play by standing in front of Donnarumma before ducking out of the way just as the ball flew past.
Being in an offside position alone is not an offence — what matters is whether the player becomes actively involved in play or interferes with an opponent. Robertson was judged to have affected Donnarumma’s ability to play the ball. For VAR to overturn that call, there must be clear and obvious evidence that the goalkeeper was not impacted. Since such proof didn’t exist, the on-field decision had to stand.
It’s important to note that VAR is not designed to re-referee games. The technology supports officials by correcting clear mistakes, not reinterpreting subjective situations. If the referee had allowed the goal and no offside was flagged, VAR equally would not have intervened, as there was no indisputable evidence either way.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot questioned the length of time taken for the offside flag to be raised, suggesting confusion between the officials. However, constant communication between referees and assistants is part of standard procedure, especially in complex goalmouth situations.
Comparisons have been made to similar cases, such as Manchester City’s goal against Wolves last season, when Bernardo Silva was in an offside position but did not impact the goalkeeper. However, in that instance, Silva was several metres away from the play and did not interfere with vision or movement — a crucial difference from Robertson’s role.
Ultimately, while Liverpool may feel aggrieved, the officials followed VAR protocol correctly. The decision, though frustrating for supporters, was not a clear and obvious error and therefore rightly remained unchanged.
