In Liverpool’s last two Premier League games before the international break, Reds striker Darwin Núñez saw a couple of goals ruled out for offside in the first half. First, Dominik Szoboszlai’s skewed shot came to him just outside the six-yard box, and he opened up his body and rolled it off the post. However, replays showed that his toe had strayed beyond the last defender Ben Mee, and so the goal wasn’t awarded.
The second decision was much more clear-cut. After Mark Flekken brilliantly saved Virgil van Dijk’s header following a corner, Joël Matip headed the rebound towards Núñez, who produced a spectacular overhead-kick finish, but the flag inevitably went up because he was stood around a yard closer to goal than everybody else. Under changes to the law proposed by the legendary Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, FIFA’s chief of global development, the first of these goals (thankfully not the second) would actually have stood. Wenger wants the attacker to be classified as onside if any part of his body is level with the last defender, rather than offside if any part of his body is ahead.
According to Spanish publication Marca, via The Daily Record, lawmakers IFAB are considering whether this change should be implemented. If approved, it could apparently come into effect as soon as the start of next season.
“You will no longer have decisions about millimeters and a fraction of the attacker being in front of the defensive line,” Wenger said in 2020, via The Guardian. That’s a dubious claim, because the offensive player could still only be ‘millimeters’ ahead of the last defender, but one thing we can say for sure is the change would lead to more goals because attackers have more leeway. While that would make matches more spectacular, you can certainly debate whether it’s a good thing for the game. Wenger rule could force Jürgen Klopp into huge change as Liverpool faces crucial vote
One rule change advocated by former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger could spell trouble for Liverpool if it goes through, potentially compromising the team’s identity.
