The Premier League’s refereeing body has suspended two VAR officials who oversaw the Tottenham vs. Liverpool game. This match took place at White Hart Lane on September 30, 2023, resulting in a 2-1 win for Spurs, who maintained their unbeaten streak in the Premier League. The game was marred by controversy, starting with Curtis Jones receiving a straight red card for a tackle on Yves Bissouma following a VAR review.
Another contentious incident occurred when Liverpool believed they had taken the lead through Luis Diaz, only for it to be ruled out as offside by the on-field assistant referee. Despite replays suggesting Diaz was onside when Mohamed Salah played the ball, VAR did not overturn the decision.
The PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) admitted that this decision was a “clear and obvious factual error” and promised a thorough review. In the meantime, England will not serve as the fourth official in Forest’s game against Brentford, and assistant VAR official Dan Cook will not participate as an assistant referee in Chelsea’s match against Fulham on October 2, 2023.
PGMOL issued a statement apologizing to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool for the mistake, acknowledging the significant human error that occurred during the game.
Liverpool’s manager, Jurgen Klopp, expressed his frustration during his post-match press conference, highlighting the unfair circumstances and controversial decisions in the match. Despite the challenges, Klopp praised his team’s resilience.
As of now, Liverpool holds fourth place in the Premier League with 16 points from seven games. They will face Brighton in their next Premier League match on Sunday, October 8, 2023.