Our last game against Manchester City was one of the most controversial matches in Premier League history. Referee Chris Kavanagh’s offside decision has ignited the hottest of controversies. The incident occurred when Virgil van Dijk headed the ball towards the goal, only for a strike from Andy Robertson to be disallowed due to an alleged offside infraction. Plenty of actors, including their opponents Liverpool and their manager last night Jürgen Klopp, have condemned this punitive decision. They are now calling for additional explanation from the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).
The match, held at Etihad Stadium, saw Kavanagh make the pivotal call after the assistant referee raised the flag for offside against Robertson. The VAR crew, with Chris Beath (full name) as lead VAR, then went on to check this on-field decision. As it turned out, the result was still the same, provoking explosive public disputes between players, pundits, and analysts.
The Incident in Detail
The disputed play came about when Van Dijk’s long-distance header flew toward the goal. As the ball approached, it went directly over the head of goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, landing in the six-yard box where Robertson attempted to capitalize. Kavanagh determined that Robertson interfered with Donnarumma’s ability to play the ball, therefore supporting the decision to call the offside.
That decision has set off shockwaves amongst supporters and pundits alike. It looks very much like a controversial call made last season during the infamous game between Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers. In that match, England international John Stones scored the late match-winner as Bernardo Silva was basically goal-hanging in front of keeper Jose Sa. The situations were particularly similar, as in both cases there was a player who could be accused of interfering with the goalkeeper’s line of sight.
Responses from Officials and Managers
Michael Webb, the referees chief, has had to explain his decision, stressing the subtleties that set the two incidents apart. He stated, “There’s a clear difference here in that the ball goes directly over Sa’s head and doesn’t go over the head of Silva. Sure enough, he’s in an offside position, but most relevantly he turns away from the flight of the ball. Webb’s analysis shows that both plays created an offside exception. The facts of each case demand varied readings.
Webb went on to explain what obstruction means in these situations. It’s hard to look at this and imagine what perhaps Sa is affected by the action of Silva. If the ball had gone over Silva’s head, maybe causing Sa to hesitate in case it hits Silva then we’d come out with the same outcome of disallowed goal,” he noted.
Liverpool’s Reaction and Ongoing Discussions
In response to Kavanagh’s judgement, Liverpool have already written to the PGMOL, seeking clarification on what their standards of officiating should be. Feyenoord’s manager, Arne Slot, vocally condemned the ruling. He even claimed that it was “patently clear” that the decision was wrong. Slot’s comments are an indication of a bubbling annoyance inside Liverpool at the continued officiating justice that they feel have prejudicially undermined their work.
This sequence would lead to a historic, widespread re-examination of how offside situations should be dealt with. Only time will tell how much future contests are impacted as a result. Every team and every fan will watch the PGMOL’s response with a hawk’s eye. They will be particularly interested in any shifts in officiating protocols after all adjust to the new, still confusing world of VAR game changers.
Leave a Reply