-
Liverpool complain to PGMOL over two controversial decisions in Aston Villa draw.
Liverpool has asked for an explanation from PGMOL, the organization that regulates Premier League officiating, over two decisions that were made incorrectly during the expensive weekend draw with Aston Villa.
A late Roberto Firmino goal gave the Reds a chance to tie the game at 1-1, but Manchester United’s victory allowed them to pass them in the race for a top-four finish and Champions League qualifying.
Since then, Jurgen Klopp has admitted defeat and is now concentrating on competing in the Europa League.
Liverpool, though, is still seeking clarification on two contentious Villa game rulings.
One saw a potential Cody Gakpo equaliser that was ruled out when Virgil van Dijk was deemed to be offside. Van Dijk had been beyond the last line of defence when Luis Diaz attempted to head back across goal, but the ball rebounded to him off Villa centre-back Ezri Konsa.
A player cannot be offside when a defender deliberately makes an attempt to play the ball. But referee John Brooks was advised by the VAR official to consult the pitch-side monitor and ruled the goal out, having decided that Konsa’s contact on the ball to send it to Van Dijk was accidental.
The other incident was Brooks’ decision to only show Tyrone Mings a yellow card was a reckless chest-high challenge on Gakpo that left the Liverpool forward with a torn shirt and immediately visible cuts and grazes across his body. A VAR review was carried out but the yellow wasn’t upgraded.
Klopp, who was banned from the touchline at Anfield due to a punishment from previous comments about referee Paul Tierney, said afterwards it was impossible for Gakpo to have suffered those kind of injuries without being the victim of a ‘proper foul’.