Here we are discussing about officials and VAR once more and how they hurt Liverpool and helped another team. We shouldn’t need to discuss it, but we do. Again.
The effects of Liverpool’s journey to Tottenham are still being felt and will continue to be felt, and rightfully so.
This game would be the one to use as an example for aspiring referees because it brought to light everything that needs to change in Premier League officiating.
We are drawn back into a debate that we are all sick and tired of talking about instead of focusing on Jurgen Klopp’s new-look Liverpool and the encouraging indicators they continue to exhibit.
Officials make or break games; their choices—or lack thereof—determine the results of not only the first 90 minutes of play but also of title races, relegation fights, and everything in between.
Although the league boldly claims to be the best in the world, its officials and practices fall short of expectations. The question is: Can we ever have trust that something will change?
Failure only results in clubs paying the ultimate price.
ENGLAND’S LONDON – Jürgen Klopp, manager of Liverpool, during the FA Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Liverpool FC at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 30, 2023. (Propaganda image by David Rawcliffe)
“I never saw a game like this with the most unfair circumstances, crazy decisions,” Jurgen Klopp stated after his team’s sad loss on Saturday.
That is a bold claim, especially in light of recent events involving Liverpool (Alexis MacAllister’s dismissal, the linesman elbowing Andy Robertson, and Jordan Pickford’s challenge on Virgil van Dijk).
In what was a devilish show of officiating, referee Simon Hooper was supported by head VAR Darren England and his assistant Dan Cook, who had just officiated a match in the United Arab Emirates 48 hours prior.
With this one, it is challenging to allow the irritation and fury to overtake you. Although the season has only just begun, Liverpool had a chance to clinch the league’s top spot with a victory.
They had won all 19 of their prior games, and with Man City having made a mistake earlier in the day, there was a window of opportunity to take advantage of.
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