Liverpool stunned by VAR double-whammy

DOMINIC CALVERT-LEWIN’S header salvaged a draw for Everton in a controversial 237th Merseyside derby which saw Richarlison sent off late on.

Everton had already escaped a red card and a penalty against goalkeeper Jordan Pickford early in the first half for a knee-high challenge on Virgil van Dijk which ended the Holland captain’s afternoon. But there was no VAR reprieve for the Brazilian’s lunge on Liverpool midfielder Thiago.

Jordan Henderson thought he had won it in the five minutes of added time when Pickford fumbled his shot but the goal was ruled out for the tightest of offside decisions against Sadio Mane.

It was another contentious decision which meant the Premier League champions made the short trip home aggrieved at what they saw as a failure of VAR.

Mohamed Salah put the Reds 2-1 up with 18 minutes to go with his 100th Liverpool goal only for it to be cancelled out by the in-form Calvert-lewin with a trademark far-post leap.

Mane had put the visitors ahead in the third minute before Michael Keane equalised with a header in the 19th.

However, the game’s pivotal moment was Pickford seemingly getting away with clattering Van Dijk – and confusion still reigned after the match as to whether a mistake had been made.

VAR ruled the

Dutchman’s shoulder had been offside in the build-up, but it has been suggested video official

David Coote did not check for a potential red card despite

DISMAY: Jordan Henderson after his goal was disallowed

LEVELLER: Keane rises high to head the first equaliser for Everton having the power to do so and called ‘check complete’.

Had he found the England keeper guilty of serious foul play, Everton would have been down to 10 men and faced a penalty when already trailing to Mane’s quickfire goal, hammered in at the near post.

If that was lucky, then Everton benefited two-fold as Liverpool’s defensive linchpin Van Dijk, who had not missed a minute of Premier League football since January 2018, was unable to continue and was replaced by Joe Gomez. His presence was missed as Everton equalised. Adrian, who had parried CalvertLewin’s shot behind, could only push Keane’s header from James Rodriguez’s corner into the roof of the net despite getting both hands to the ball.

A moment of quality was needed and it came from Salah, who brought up his century in his 159th match.

But Calvert-lewin, with his 10th goal in seven Everton games, also reached a landmark of his own as the first Toffees player since Tommy Lawton in 1938 to score in his opening five games of a league season.

Richarlison then saw the 22nd red card in 57 Premier League Merseyside derbies.