The incident in question was Martin Odegaard’s handball incident at Anfield, which the referees somehow missed as the top flight ended in a draw. The Independent Key Match Panel later voted by a 4-1 majority that Liverpool should be awarded the penalty. That’s one fact Jurgen Klopp doesn’t care about at the moment.
Webb also admitted that “the game expects penalties in those situations.” But the VAR argument, which can be heard in the video, at least explains the thought process. First, in the stadium, the referee told the players: “No!” His hands are on the ground, his hands are on the ground. VAR David Coote immediately stepped in and confirmed that a possible handball penalty was being investigated. Coote points out that Odegaard “stumbled” and “moved his hands to himself” to support the decision not to impose a penalty. Of course, as any Klopp or Liverpool fan will immediately tell you, his arm movement to his body prevented him from hitting the ball into the path of Trent Alexander-Arnold, giving him a great opportunity.
But with or without VAR, we will never get rid of referees making poor subjective decisions. Perhaps the biggest problem is that Liverpool have once again left questions about the VAR process itself. After the verdict is reached, Coot says, “The check has closed.” Assistant VAR Lee Betts said: “Yes, I had a quick look. Yes, I agreed.”ESPN editor Dale Johnson was an oracle when it came to VAR. Webb and Owen found the exchange problematic, although they did not discuss the topic on the show.
He wrote to X expressing his concerns. “In past mistakes, especially Luis Diaz’s offside, AVAR did not fully intervene to prevent the mistake,” Johnson said. “If AVAR had asked to see the replay to get a full picture of the incident, would they have said it was a handball? “Let me ask you this question: What was wrong with the process? Why was the inspection completed? Why isn’t AVAR fully involved?”
Ah, it’s that time again. Former Liverpool striker and renowned journalist Michael Owen was tasked with presenting PGMOL boss Howard Webb with small examples of the league’s recent poor decisions. As usual, Match Officers: The Mic didn’t offer much new insight, at least when it came to the altercation between Owen and Webb. But when Liverpool got back into the game, there was at least something to gain from VAR.
