Howard Webb, head of PGMOL, has stated that the decision to deny Liverpool a penalty in the dying moments of their pivotal match against Manchester City was justified.
The match, which ended in a 1-1 stalemate at Anfield, was marred by contentious moments, particularly when Jeremy Doku’s high boot seemed to connect with Alexis Mac Allister’s chest within the penalty area.
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Despite the apparent infraction, referee Michael Oliver allowed play to continue, and the VAR review upheld his decision, leading to visible dismay from Liverpool’s manager, Jurgen Klopp.
The debate surrounding the incident has been intense, especially given its timing in the 98th minute of a crucial game between two top Premier League contenders, Liverpool and Manchester City, who are neck and neck in the title race with Arsenal, trailing by a mere point.
In a recent episode of Mic’d Up, Webb acknowledged the contentious nature of the play but maintained his belief that both the referee and VAR made the correct call.
‘It’s split a lot of opinion, hasn’t it? And I think it’s one of those for sure if the referee gives it on the field, it would have been a “Check complete” by the VAR,’ Webb said.
‘And equally, having not given it, it’s also “Check complete”. You hear Michael Oliver say the ball’s in between two players going together. 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. So, I understand why it’s split opinion.
‘I think it would have been “checked complete” either way. Not wanting to to re-referee the game in situations that are not really clear, which is what we think the VAR is for in this situation.
‘The VAR stays out of it. I think that is what we would we would expect.
‘It’s a 1-1 all game. You just want certainty really. You want to to know with clarity, with certainty, that you’re making the right decision.
‘Clearly, Michael didn’t have it in this situation. And then the VAR looks at it and doesn’t see a clear-and-obvious situation.
‘You see something that’s pretty subjective and therefore stays out of it, and the feedback we’ve had from people within the game is that this is a pretty subjective situation. It’s split opinion.’
Klopp’s firm belief that Liverpool was entitled to a penalty, which could have turned the game in their favor, is unlikely to be soothed by the decision.
‘Isn’t VAR there for just making the right decision and not thinking about how high the bar is you have to overturn to find the right decision?’ he said post-match.
‘In all the positions on the pitch, is 100 per cent a foul and it’s a yellow card. He hit the ball, yes, but he can only hit the ball because his foot is right there. If the ball is not there, he kills him.
‘It’s a penalty for all football people on the planet. It’s a penalty. If you think it’s not one then maybe you’re not a football fan.’
