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Murillo’s opener against Liverpool was allowed to stand despite the fact Van Dijk’s equaliser at Manchester City was chalked off for a similar offside infringement
Will CastleMonday 24 November 2025 12:01 GMTComments
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Liverpool found themselves aggrieved by VAR inconsistencies on the weekend as they succumbed to a damning 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest.
While the Reds could hardly blame the officiating for their objectively dismal performance, VAR was at the heart of discussion for its role in the game’s turning point on 34 minutes, with Forest scoring against the run of play to go 1-0 up at Anfield.
Murillo was the goalscorer, firing in from a poorly-defended corner. But it was Dan Ndoye, standing in an offside position in front of Alisson, whose part in the goal caused the debate.
Just 13 days earlier, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk’s equaliser against Manchester City was controversially disallowed for a similar infringement that found Andy Robertson - in an offside position but not in goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma’s eyeline - to have impacted the action.
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Liverpool complained to PGMOL about this before referees’ chief Howard Webb asserted that the verdict from VAR at the Etihad was “not unreasonable”.
But even though there was a touch of de ja vu to Forest’s opener on Saturday, no action from VAR was taken to strike off Murillo’s goal.
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher justified the stark variation in decision-making, insisting that “we are at the behest of the officials on the day” because the “grey area for this kind of incident is too wide”.
"The difference is Andy Robertson moves. He moves to the ball,” Gallagher said on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch.
VAR did not overturn Murillo’s opener despite an offside Forest player standing in front of Alisson (AFP via Getty Images)"You ask for consistency and to get the decision right, but you can't have both. If you want consistency, every goal like this would be disallowed. Consistency is only good as long as everyone is happy with it.
"Last week it was said the Liverpool goal should have been a goal. This week, two have been given as goals. You could say everyone has looked and learnt.
"They haven't been inconsistent. They have actually recognised and thought that in this situation the more acceptable situation is a goal. They have actually given people what they want."
A similar issue happened in the north London derby, which saw Eberechi Eze’s first goal stand despite the fact Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario having offside Arsenal players in his direct eyeline.
Also speaking on Ref Watch, Jay Bothroyd said: "That's probably the worst decision. They are directly in the keeper's eyeline. When I saw that, straight away I said that would be offside.
"That is the most obvious one. He's looking straight down the ball and there are two players in his eyeline. That's why I don't understand it."
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