eferee Darren England faced repercussions and was removed from his Premier League officiating duties following a significant VAR error that disadvantaged Liverpool in their match against Tottenham.
During Liverpool’s 2-1 loss to Tottenham, Luis Diaz was incorrectly deemed offside, resulting in a disallowed goal.
The erroneous offside call denied Liverpool a clear scoring opportunity, impacting the outcome of the match.
Darren England, assigned as the VAR official for the Spurs vs. Liverpool encounter, bore the consequences of this error.
The error was categorized as a “significant human error” by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body responsible for officiating in the Premier League.
Due to the severity of the mistake, England was removed from his duties for the subsequent two Premier League games.
He was initially set to officiate the Nottingham Forest vs. Brentford match, but Eddie Smart replaced him as an assistant referee for the Fulham vs. Chelsea match.
The erroneous decision revolved around Diaz’s goal, as England mistakenly believed the on-field referee, Simon Hooper, had awarded the goal and that VAR was only required to confirm its legality.
As a result, England swiftly confirmed Diaz was onside and indicated to proceed with a “check complete.” However, Hooper perceived Diaz to be offside based on the lines, leading England to raise the linesman’s flag, ultimately disallowing the goal.
This misjudgment proved crucial as Liverpool lost the match, with Heung-min Son’s goal in the first half further adding to their woes.
Curtis Jones was also sent off during the match, further impacting Liverpool’s performance.
Liverpool’s manager, Jurgen Klopp, commented on the PGMOL statement, highlighting the frustration over the situation and how it affected their match outcome.
He compared it to a similar incident involving Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United, emphasizing the need for consistency in addressing such errors.
Overall, this VAR error significantly impacted the match’s outcome, prompting action against the responsible referee and highlighting the need for continued improvements in officiating and technology.
