According to referees’ chief Howard Webb, the officials were justified in ruling out Virgil van Dijk’s strike for offside during Liverpool’s clash with Manchester City.
Liverpool thought they had their equaliser when Van Dijk’s effort found the net in the 38th minute, only for referee Chris Kavanagh and assistant Stuart Burt to rule it out. The officials judged that Andrew Robertson, though not touching the ball, interfered with play by ducking under it and distracting City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
VAR Michael Oliver confirmed the decision, and City went on to win comfortably, 3–0.
Unhappy with the call, Liverpool have since contacted PGMOL, insisting that Robertson’s actions didn’t meet the threshold for offside interference and that the goal should have counted.
Howard Webb has weighed in on the controversy, admitting the decision was open to debate but defending the officials’ reasoning.
Appearing on Match Officials Mic’d Up, Webb said: “Calls like these are never straightforward. When a player’s offside but doesn’t touch the ball, it’s all about judging whether they affect an opponent’s actions — and that’s hugely subjective.”
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