KLOPP IS 13 POINTS CLEAR THANKS TO VAR
ANGRY Nuno Espirito Santo hit out at VAR after two decisions went against Wolves in yesterday’s defeat by Liverpool at Anfield.
The decisive goal scored by Sadio Mane was allowed to stand after referee Anthony Taylor had ruled it out for handball against Adam Lallana, and moments later Pedro Neto’s goal for Wolves was chalked off for a fractional offside.
Both calls were correct but the Wolves boss, booked for protesting to fourth official Mike Dean over the first decision, called for VAR to stop interfering.
He said: ‘The decisions are being taken by a referee who is miles away from here looking at a TV screen. He doesn’t feel the game.
‘What we don’t want is what just happened. At Anfield they have a fantastic club, fantastic fans, a fantastic stadium and we are celebrating a non-goal. Come on!’
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp admitted lengthy delays for VAR reviews are not good for players.
He said: ‘We are coming into January. Players standing around that long waiting is not good. I would prefer if referees would go to the screen. I would imagine Wolves were not happy with the VAR decisions. These things happen, nobody likes it.’
Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League will only look and feel insurmountable until somebody starts to chip away at it. So this felt like another very big afternoon at Anfield.
This was the day when the Merseysiders’ remarkable run of Premier League results should have struck a little bump in the road. Their 31st league victory of a remarkable calendar year came with some help from VAR and a hat-trick of golden Wolves chances spurned in the closing stages.
At the outset, we should make it clear, VAR worked here. Many of those who say it is ruining football were among those calling for an end to football’s imperfect beauty a couple of years ago. The facts are Taylor and his officials got two difficult and vital calls wrong near the end of the first half.
So a disallowed goal from Mane was allowed to stand and what was given as an immediate Wolves equaliser was then disallowed for offside.
VAR is not to blame here. The rules are — and there is a difference. Joao Moutinho was offside by a toe when he received possession before crossing for his team-mate at the far post.
It would have been impossible for a linesman to spot but it was apparent on a VAR freeze frame.
As regards what happened at the end, that was purely down to human error on Wolves’ part.
Passive and submissive in the first half, they played with greater energy and ambition from that point on.
Their boss used his substitutions well in the second half and his team — fresh from a late charge to victory against Manchester City last Friday — almost did the same at Anfield.
Ultimately, Moutinho, Romain Saiss and Ruben Vinagre didn’t have enough nerve. In the space of about four minutes either side of the 90-minute mark, each had time and space to skewer Liverpool.
Moutinho and Saiss were presented with chances on the edge of the penalty area. Vinagre was closer to goal, to the left.
Yet three hurried shots failed to trouble Liverpool No 1 Alisson and when Virgil van Dijk headed a 94th-minute corner clear, the whistle blew on another day of nip-and-tuck football that has characterised much of Liverpool’s season.
Wolves felt hard done by. Equally, they had their chances yet Alisson made only a couple of meaningful saves. As for Liverpool’s winner, it came towards the end of a first half which the hosts dominated.
The visitors — playing with a back five when out of possession
— had attempted little more than to stay in the game.
Mo Salah and Gigi Wijnaldum were off target with decent early chances while Roberto Firmino headed wide from a corner.
Half-time was almost with us when Van Dijk played a long pass into the Wolves penalty area. Lallana helped the ball on with his body and Mane’s first-time finish was low to the keeper’s right.
Taylor immediately signalled handball against Lallana but replays suggested upper body or shoulder. Goal given.
With their tails tweaked, Wolves applied their first pressure of the game and appeared to score through Neto’s first-time shot from 12 yards. This time VAR revealed Moutinho to be offside as he received the ball and prepared to race past Andy Robertson to cross. Goal ruled out.
So Liverpool got the rub. But who can really say either outcome was incorrect?
Wolves’ second-half response was admirable and they could have taken a point at least. They should have played with such ambition prior to Liverpool’s goal. Before that, they had not tried a single shot and had afforded Liverpool 71 per cent of possession.
The Reds did have chances in the second half. Firmino volleyed over and Wijnaldum failed to keep a header down. Increasingly, they were indebted to their defenders and Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez both enjoyed superb afternoons.
This will surely be Liverpool’s title but there will be times when it does not feel easy. This was one of them.