The win marked United’s first triumph away to their fiercest rivals since 2016 — and their first road success in seven months under Ruben Amorim. ..Continue Reading
After striking in the second minute, United appeared poised to keep troubling the Premier League champions.
Despite several major opportunities — including three shots that hit the woodwork — Arne Slot’s side eventually equalised through Cody Gakpo in the 78th minute.
But all that effort was undone when Harry Maguire nodded in the decisive goal six minutes later.
Liverpool’s display arguably didn’t warrant a win, but scrutiny has intensified over Michael Oliver’s choice to let play continue after Alexis Mac Allister suffered a head injury in the lead-up to Mbeumo’s goal.
The midfielder wore a protective cap for the rest of the match, and Hackett has now offered his perspective on the call that left Liverpool chasing the game from the outset.
While conceding that the Cameroon forward may have been fortunate to see his goal stand — especially with replays showing Oliver had a clear line of sight — Hackett explained why he believes the decision was ultimately correct.
“Three players challenged for the ball in a fair manner, which bounced and put Man United on the attack. They went on to score a good goal,” Hackett told Football Insider. He continued (watch the incident below):
“It appeared that Referee [Michael] Oliver had not seen the head injury and play was allowed to continue. Goal scored and correctly allowed. VAR cannot intervene on this as it is not a clear and obvious error. Football is a contact sport.”
While referees are generally expected to stop play for head injuries, there’s no strict rule mandating it. According to the Premier League’s official site:
“Where a player has a suspected head injury and the referee stops the game, the official will immediately signal for a doctor or physio to enter the pitch in order to promote player welfare. The player will need to leave the pitch for further assessment and remain on the touchline for a minimum 30 seconds after play has restarted.”
VAR was also unable to step in, as the incident didn’t meet its criteria. The contact was made by Mac Allister’s own teammate, Virgil van Dijk — meaning no foul occurred that warranted review.
For Liverpool, the defeat leaves them four points adrift of leaders Arsenal and marks their first four-game losing streak since November 2014 under Brendan Rodgers.
More concerning, they now sit just two points ahead of Man United — a team still trying to shake off last season’s struggles, which saw them finish 15th.
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