Liverpool felt it should have had a late penalty against Man City. Howard Webb insisted the right call was made by VAR as the incident ‘divided opinion’.
Liverpool’s title hopes could ultimately hinge on the failure to award a late penalty in the recent draw with Manchester City. The Reds were incensed that a last-gasp spot kick wasn’t awarded for Jérémy Doku’s high challenge on Alexis Mac Allister.
That result saw Liverpool lose top spot to Arsenal in the Premier League, albeit only on goal difference, but it could prove to be a huge turning point in the title race. PGMOL chief Howard Webb discussed the incident during the international break after VAR did not advise referee Michael Oliver to review his initial decision.
Speaking on Match Officials Mic’d Up, Webb said it was right for VAR to not intervene as the challenge ‘divided opinion’, suggesting there was not enough of an error from the on-field referee.
Webb added: “The ball is too low to head. Doku lifts his foot to play the ball, and he does make contact on the ball. And yes, we know there’s some contact on Mac Allister as well. Mac Allister comes into him. Mac Allister is not really playing the ball either. The VAR stays out of it. I think that is what we would we would expect.”
Former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler is not in agreement though and pointed the finger at Webb for his latest attempt to explain a controversial refereeing decision. Writing in his Daily Mirror column, Fowler suggested Webb was ‘taking us all for fools’.
He continued: “Anyone who watched the game knew that Doku got away with one. It was exactly the type of scenario that VAR was supposed to rectify. Instead, Webb expected us all to accept that a throat-threatening challenge doesn’t cross the threshold.
“I’m not one for conspiracy theories. I don’t believe for one second that referees are anything but sincere in the way they go about their business on the pitch. But VAR has given them a get-out clause.
“For Webb to go on TV in a bid to convince us all that his team of match officials were right after all, and that it’s the rest of us who don’t know what we’re talking about, is crass in the extreme.”
Liverpool has been on the receiving end of a number of VAR decisions this season while the PGMOL apologized to the club after Luis Díaz’s goal was incorrectly ruled out at Tottenham back in September.
The decision not to award the penalty to Liverpool against City could prove decisive come the end of the season. Webb has offered his explanation as to why it wasn’t given but that won’t make the decision sit any easier with Klopp and his players. Fowler shares the view of most football fans that VAR, and the way it is operated, is not having a great impact on the game.