The Premier League has provided an explanation for the controversial disallowance of Virgil van Dijk’s header during Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
The goal initially appeared to bring Liverpool level at 1-1 after Erling Haaland opened the scoring for City. However, the strike was ruled out for offside, despite Andy Robertson not touching the ball.
According to VAR, Robertson’s positioning was enough to interfere with the goalkeeper’s ability to play, which led to the decision to disallow the goal. The league’s Match Centre further clarified that Robertson’s proximity represented “an obvious action which impacted an opponent’s ability to play the ball,” leaving the goal invalid.
The ruling drew widespread debate, particularly as City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma appeared unlikely to have reached Van Dijk’s header even without Robertson’s presence.
After the disallowed goal, Nico Gonzalez doubled Manchester City’s lead before halftime, and Jeremy Doku added a third in the second half to secure a dominant win for Pep Guardiola’s team.
The result leaves Liverpool in eighth place with 18 points, while Manchester City trails league leaders Arsenal by just four points, keeping the title race tight as the season progresses.
