Copyright Yardbarker
Even for those of us used to Premier League officiating inconsistency, this one takes some beating. ITV presenter Mark Pougatch has become the latest to question why Virgil van Dijk’s first-half header was disallowed in Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat at Manchester City and his words echo what many of us were shouting. “Donnarumma sees that header all the way,” Pougatch posted on X. “The replays clearly show the keeper could see Van Dijk’s header all the way, notwithstanding Robertson. “So what on earth is the reason to disallow that? I think VAR is having an absolute shocker today.” It was a moment that could have changed the entire flow of the match, as our captain thought he’d drawn us level before Chris Kavanagh and VAR Michael Oliver combined to rule it out for an apparent offside by Andy Robertson. Liverpool undone by another baffling decision The decision centred on Robertson supposedly impeding Donnarumma’s line of sight, even though camera angles showed the Italy international had a completely unobstructed view of the ball. That explanation didn’t wash with Pougatch, nor with the likes of Gary Neville and Micah Richards, who both questioned the logic behind the call live on Sky Sports. Arne Slot publicly exposed the laughable inconsistency of Kavanagh’s refereeing, referencing a nearly identical offside situation involving Bernardo Silva last season. It feels like a moment where even the Premier League’s own rulebook struggled to justify the decision. Stats show just how costly decisions like this have become Liverpool have now seen five goals ruled out by VAR this season, the joint-most in the Premier League, and all five have come in games away from home. Those numbers add up. Decisions like this change games, shape narratives, and chip away at momentum. The Reds failed to record a shot on target until the 76th minute, but had Van Dijk’s header stood, it might have forced a very different contest. You can view the reaction to Van Dijk’s disallowed goal via @markpougatch on X:
