Howard Webb, the chief of PGMOL, says it was right not to award Liverpool a last-minute penalty in their important match against Manchester City. There were controversial moments at the end of the 1-1 draw at Anfield two weeks ago..
There were This occurred when Jeremy Doku seemed to hit Alexis Mac Allister in the chest with a raised boot in the penalty box.Referee Michael Oliver let play continue and the on-field decision stood after a VAR check, which angered Reds manager Jurgen Klopp. The incident has attracted significant attention, especially because it happened in the 98th minute of a match between title-rivals who are separated by just one point, along with Arsenal. Speaking in a recent episode, Webb said he understands why the incident was controversial but believes the referee and VAR made the right call.
Webb expressed that the incident has divided opinions and emphasized that the decision would have been confirmed by the VAR if the referee had initially awarded the penalty. Many have debated whether Liverpool should have been given a last-minute penalty (Photo: Getty)..
The situation arose in a game involving three title contenders separated by only one point — Premier League. This was stated during a conversation where Webb acknowledged the contentious nature of the incident but defended the decisions made by the referee and VAR. Webb believes the VAR should abstain in such situations, avoiding re-refereeing the game unless the scenario is clearly ambiguous.
He expressed that there was uncertainty in the situation, which the VAR chose not to intervene in, given the subjective nature of the incident. Mic’d UpKlopp may find little comfort in this, as he was insistent that Liverpool should have been given a penalty that could have led to a victory.
Klopp questioned the purpose of VAR, emphasizing that it should focus on making correct decisions without considering the threshold required for overturning a decision.
In Klopp's view, the foul committed by Jeremy Doku on Alexis Mac Allister is unquestionably a penalty and a yellow card offense, expressing frustration with the decision post-match.
‘And yes, we know there’s some contact on Mac Allister as well. Mac Allister comes into him. Mac Allister is not really playing the ball either. So, I understand why it’s split opinion.
‘I think it would have been “checked complete” either way. Not wanting to to re-referee the game in situations that are not really clear, which is what we think the VAR is for in this situation.
‘The VAR stays out of it. I think that is what we would we would expect.
‘It’s a 1-1 all game. You just want certainty really. You want to to know with clarity, with certainty, that you’re making the right decision.
‘Clearly, Michael didn’t have it in this situation. And then the VAR looks at it and doesn’t see a clear-and-obvious situation.
‘You see something that’s pretty subjective and therefore stays out of it, and the feedback we’ve had from people within the game is that this is a pretty subjective situation. It’s split opinion.’
This will be of little comfort to Klopp who was adamant Liverpool should have had a spot-kick from which they could have won the game.
‘Isn’t VAR there for just making the right decision and not thinking about how high the bar is you have to overturn to find the right decision?’ he said post-match.
‘In all the positions on the pitch, is 100 per cent a foul and it’s a yellow card. He hit the ball, yes, but he can only hit the ball because his foot is right there. If the ball is not there, he kills him.
‘It’s a penalty for all football people on the planet. It’s a penalty. If you think it’s not one then maybe you’re not a football fan.’
.
.
