Liverpool may have felt like “prisoners” after their controversial 2-1 loss to Tottenham on Saturday night but it will come as a consolation to know that their downfall could bring about seismic change to Premier League officiating. The PGMOL have admitted that Luis Diaz’s disallowed goal should have stood and will be investigating the “significant human error” that led to it being chalked off.
Darren England and Dan Cook have been relieved of their duties in Premier League games taking place on Sunday and Monday while the PGMOL has called an emergency meeting to review the mistakes made by VAR. Video assistant referees have been at the forefront of several controversies since their introduction into the Premier League at the beginning of the 2019-2020 campaign.
Last season, the PGMOL acknowledged 12 failures regarding refereeing and VAR decisions in England’s top-flight, several of these incidents led to a goal being wrongfully ruled on or offside. Clubs have complained about VAR and the PGMOL system on multiple occasions, but now Liverpool have an opportunity to demand change to be implemented.
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker voiced his displeasure with the limitations players face on criticizing decisions made by referees, likening their experience to being a “prisoner”. However, Liverpool, as the wronged party, can put a foot on the PGMOL’s throat and drive momentum from here.
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou joined Jurgen Klopp in slamming VAR’s decision and went on to suggest that “change is the only answer”. A recent statement released by the Reds suggests they are pushing for said change with club executives calling for “any and all outcomes to be established only by the review and with full transparency.”
“We fully accept the pressures that match officials work under but these pressures are supposed to be alleviated, not exacerbated, by the existence and implementation of VAR,” read the statement. “It is therefore unsatisfactory that sufficient time was not afforded to allow the correct decision to be made and that there was no subsequent intervention.
“That such failings have already been categorised as ‘significant human error’ is also unacceptable. Any and all outcomes should be established only by the review and with full transparency.
“This is vital for the reliability of future decision-making as it applies to all clubs with learnings being used to make improvements to processes in order to ensure this kind of situation cannot occur again. In the meantime, we will explore the range of options available, given the clear need for escalation and resolution.”
