Liverpool Takes VAR Fight to the Top: The Van Dijk Goal and the Crisis of Subjectivity

The dust has not yet settled on Liverpool’s contentious 3-0 defeat against Manchester City, but the fallout is escalating far beyond the pitch. Driven by a deep-seated frustration with a ruling they describe as both “subjective” and “unfair,” Liverpool Football Club has formally contacted Howard Webb, the head of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), to express their profound concerns. This is more than a request for clarification; it is a direct challenge to the integrity and consistency of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system itself, sending palpable shockwaves through the Premier League establishment.

The flashpoint of the controversy remains the disallowed goal by defender Virgil van Dijk. The Dutch centre-back headed home what should have been a crucial equaliser from a corner kick, only for the goal to be chalked off because teammate Andy Robertson was deemed to be in an offside position and interfering with play. Liverpool’s message to Webb and PGMOL is firm: the goal should have stood, and the interpretation of the law used to rule it out represents a fundamental misapplication of the rules.

The Argument Against Obstruction

At the heart of Liverpool’s protest is the legal wording concerning offside and interference. The club maintains that the specific conditions required to disallow a goal—such as obstructing the opponent’s line of sight, challenging an opponent for the ball, or gaining an advantage—were simply not met.

The PGMOL initially sought to defend the decision, stating that Robertson had made a clear movement in front of the goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma. However, senior Liverpool officials have since dismissed this explanation as insufficient. After meticulously reviewing all available match footage, the club argues that Donnarumma’s line of sight was demonstrably not obstructed by the Scottish full-back. Furthermore, Robertson was not positioned within the goalkeeper’s direct view at the moment the ball was struck by Van Dijk, nor was he actively making a play for the ball. For Liverpool, the ruling hinges on a highly debatable, subjective interpretation rather than a clear-cut infringement of the rules.

The VAR Protocol Failure

Adding to the club’s grievances is the apparent failure of standard VAR procedure. Michael Oliver, who was serving as the VAR official for the match, made the critical decision not to advise the on-field referee, Chris Kavanagh, to review the incident personally on the pitchside monitor.

In Liverpool’s view, the standard protocol of cross-checking and a final on-field review—considered an essential safety net in the VAR process—was improperly bypassed. This failure elevated the VAR official’s subjective interpretation into an unchallengeable ruling, denying the on-field referee the opportunity to make the final, informed call.

Manager Arne Slot’s post-match comments were measured but pointed. While acknowledging that the decision did not solely cost them the match, he was unequivocal: “For me, it was the wrong decision to disallow that goal.” He also highlighted a key inconsistency, pointing out that referee Kavanagh had previously allowed a highly similar goal to stand last season, when John Stones scored for City against Wolverhampton Wanderers despite Bernardo Silva being in an offside position.

Team captain Virgil van Dijk echoed this sentiment: “I thought the goal should have stood. I heard it was disallowed for obstructing the goalkeeper or something like that, but someone showed me the clip of City’s goal against Wolves last season—same referee.”

Challenging the System

Liverpool’s contact with Howard Webb signals a clear shift from mere complaint to institutional action. By citing inconsistencies and questioning the integrity of the process, the club is preparing to challenge the system itself. They are not merely seeking an apology; they are demanding procedural changes and a clear, objective standard for VAR intervention that removes the current level of subjective interpretation. The Van Dijk disallowed goal has become the catalyst for a much-needed conversation about the future of VAR in the Premier League.