The Premier League has recently disclosed a startling VAR oversight by the referees during the Liverpool versus Manchester City match. PGMOL is facing scrutiny over an unexpected VAR blunder by the referee, who failed to award a penalty despite a dangerous foul committed by Jeremy Doku in the Liverpool versus Manchester City game.
The PGMOL has provided a rationale for the absence of a penalty awarded to Liverpool in the closing stages of their Premier League encounter against Manchester City.The Reds had an opportunity to secure three crucial points in the title race and take a lead against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.However, the match at Anfield ended in a draw. After John Stones opened the scoring, Alexis Mac Allister equalized with a penalty in the second half, and Liverpool had several chances to score more as they dominated the second half.In the dying moments of stoppage time, Liverpool felt they should have been awarded another penalty when Jérémy Doku’s high boot made contact with Mac Allister’s chest, prompting an extended VAR review.Ultimately, VAR official Stuart Atwell chose to uphold the on-field decision made by Michael Oliver, much to the frustration of fans. Jürgen Klopp confronted the referee angrily at full time.According to the ECHO, PGMOL justified the decision by stating that VAR deemed Doku to have played the ball. However, former referee Mike Dean, part of Sky Sports’ commentary team, suggested that Doku was fortunate.He commented, “It’s a significant decision for VAR. While he did make slight contact with the ball, the follow-through caught him in the rib cage. I wouldn’t be surprised if they instructed the referee to review the incident.”Despite the controversy, the match showcased the quality of both teams. Although Doku initially appeared to make contact with the ball, his challenge was deemed reckless, and he was fortunate to avoid punishment.In the end, a draw seemed like a fair outcome, with Manchester City dominating the first half and Liverpool performing better in the second.It sounds like there was a lot of debate surrounding the penalty decision in the Liverpool-Manchester City match. VAR’s decision to uphold the on-field call can be contentious, especially in such crucial moments. It’s clear that both teams displayed their quality throughout the match, but the controversy surrounding the penalty call added an extra layer of drama to the game.
