Referee Decisions Under Scrutiny: Liverpool vs. Chelsea in the Premier League
Premier League Reason for Liverpool overrule by VAR
Liverpool and Chelsea had a great match on Sunday, and the refereeing calls, particularly those pertaining to penalties, left the fans in shock . The drama of the day has been increased by the Premier League’s explanation of why Liverpool’s second penalty was overruled.
Liverpool was first given a penalty during the match after it was believed that Chelsea’s goalkeeper, Robert Sanchez, had fouled Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones. Liverpool fans were pleased when referee John Brooks made this call on the pitch. Given that the Reds had already converted one penalty early in the game, it appeared as though they had another opportunity to increase their lead.
But this ruling didn’t stand for long. After reviewing the action, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) determined that Sanchez had won the ball during the challenge with Jones. Brooks was told to look at the incident on the pitchside monitor as a result of this. Brooks decided to reverse the penalty after watching the video, allowing the game to go with a drop ball.
Later, the official Match Centre for the Premier League released an explanation, saying: “The referee gave Liverpool a penalty following a foul by Sanchez on Jones. The VAR requested an on-field review after concluding that Sanchez had won the ball and there had been no foul. Play resumed with a drop ball after the referee reversed the initial ruling.
#LIVCHE – 45+2’ VAR OVERTURN
The referee awarded a penalty to Liverpool for a foul by Sanchez on Jones. The VAR deemed that Sanchez won the ball and no foul was committed and recommended an on-field review. The referee overturned the original decision and play restarted with a…
— Premier League Match Centre (@PLMatchCentre) October 20, 2024
It is important to remember that earlier in the game, Liverpool had previously received a penalty. This occurred when it was determined that Curtis Jones had been clearly pulled down within the penalty area by Chelsea defender Levi Colwill. Liverpool’s star attacker, Mohamed Salah, took responsibility and scored the penalty, giving his club an important lead in the game.
Chelsea also believed they should have been given a penalty on the opposite side of the pitch. Chelsea players and supporters claimed a penalty after Jadon Sancho and Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool engaged in a challenge. But in this case, VAR chose not to step in, and there was no penalty. Chelsea supporters were upset because they felt they were not given a fair chance to balance the score.
