Liverpool’s Honeymoon Under Arne Slot Continues, But Former Referee Slams VAR’s Input in Controversial Incident
Liverpool’s perfect start to the Premier League season continued as they beat Crystal Palace 1-0 at Selhurst Park, with Diogo Jota scoring the only goal of the game. However, the win was marred by a controversial incident in the second half that saw Palace defender Marc Guehi appear to be pulled back by Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk.
The incident was not picked up by referee Simon Hooper, and VAR failed to intervene, despite it being a clear foul. Palace boss Oliver Glasner was adamant that the penalty should have been awarded, saying: "I didn’t see it during the game, but for me, it was a clear foul."
Now, former referee Keith Hackett has weighed in on the debate, calling the decision by VAR "pure garbage" and stating that it was "pathetic" not to intervene. In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Hackett said: "As Marc Guehi attempts to get to the ball at the back post of the Liverpool box, Virgil van Dijk blatantly pulls him back to stop any chance of him doing so. Indeed, the Liverpool defender used both hands to commit the foul as if trying to draw attention to the fact he was doing something illegal."
Hackett also criticized the Premier League’s statement on the incident, saying: "To make things worse, the Premier League then confirmed the incident had been reviewed by VAR and put out a statement, arguing ‘that the challenge was not sustained holding and had no impact on the play’. Pure garbage. Everyone can see it was, in fact, sustained holding and it did impact play – even if Guehi still had some work to do to reach the ball."
The former referee emphasized the importance of applying the law correctly, saying: "Holding is an offence in law. It really should be as simple as that. Officials need to concentrate on applying the law first and foremost."
The incident has sparked renewed debate about the effectiveness of VAR in the Premier League, with many calling for improvements to the system. As the debate continues, one thing is clear: Liverpool’s perfect start to the season will be tested in the coming weeks.
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