Liverpool’s Disallowed Goal Under Scrutiny by KMI Panel

Liverpool suffered a 3-0 defeat after Andrew Robertson was penalized for ducking beneath a header from Virgil van Dijk.

An expert panel from the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents (KMI) has ruled that the controversial decision to disallow Liverpool’s goal at Manchester City was not overturned correctly by the video assistant referee (VAR).

The five-member KMI panel was divided on the matter, voting three to two against the on-field decision that disallowed the goal while also supporting the VAR team’s choice not to intervene.

During the match at Etihad Stadium earlier this month, Liverpool’s captain, Virgil Van Dijk, believed he had leveled the score in the 38th minute. However, the goal was ruled out by referee Chris Kavanagh and assistant Stuart Burt, who determined that Robertson had committed an offside offense by ducking beneath the ball.

The decision was based on the assertion that Robertson’s actions could have potentially affected goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma’s ability to save the shot. The VAR officials, Michael Oliver and Tim Wood, upheld this interpretation.

In response, Liverpool reached out to the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) to express their concerns, arguing that the criteria for offside offenses were not adequately satisfied in this instance.

The KMI panel comprised three former players and representatives from the Premier League and PGMO. The breakdown of the votes revealed a fundamental disagreement: while the majority felt Robertson’s positioning did not obstruct the goalkeeper’s line of sight and should have allowed the goal, two members disagreed, asserting that his movement was impactful.

Referees’ chief Howard Webb characterized the situation as “not unreasonable” due to its subjective nature. The KMI panel’s findings highlighted that while the majority believed the goal should have been awarded, the reasoning behind the VAR’s decision not to intervene was also deemed valid.

The KMI panel also reviewed a separate incident during the Brentford versus Newcastle match, where Dango Ouattara was penalized for simulation after a challenge from Dan Burn. The panel unanimously agreed that a penalty should have been awarded, but opinions were split regarding the VAR’s involvement in the decision.

In contrast, all other officiating decisions from the weekend were confirmed, including a unanimous vote supporting referee Craig Pawson’s decision not to award a penalty to Arsenal in a challenge involving Sunderland’s Dan Ballard.