English Premier League issues a surprising statement after Liverpool vs MU match

Following a strong backlash from fans and experts, the Premier League has released an official statement explaining why VAR did not award Liverpool a penalty in their 1-2 defeat to Manchester United at Anfield.

The controversial incident happened in the 18th minute, when Cody Gakpo’s cross struck Amad Diallo’s hand inside the Manchester United penalty area. Liverpool players immediately reacted strongly, while manager Arne Slot and the entire home coaching staff stood up demanding referee Michael Oliver review the VAR. However, after review, the decision to deny the penalty stood.

According to the statement released by the Premier League, the referee and VAR team agreed that “Amad Diallo’s arm was in a natural and reasonable position during the incident”. This means the Manchester United player did not deliberately block the ball with his hand; rather, his arm movement was a result of trying to stop a fast attack.

Immediately after the announcement, this decision sparked strong protests from Liverpool and their fans at Anfield. Manager Arne Slot was seen repeatedly complaining to the fourth official on the sideline. Some Liverpool players also argued the incident was “clearly a penalty” because Amad “extended his arm as the ball headed toward goal.”

On air Sky Sports, former player Gary Neville bluntly commented: “Amad and Manchester United were very lucky. His arm was in a position where most referees would have called a foul. If this had happened in another match, Liverpool might have been awarded a penalty.”

This contentious moment occurred shortly after Bryan Mbeumo scored an early opener for Manchester United, just 62 seconds into the game. The decision not to award Liverpool a penalty was seen as a crucial turning point that helped the “Red Devils” maintain their lead and eventually win 2-1, a result that narrowed the gap to Liverpool in the league standings.

Other experts also pointed out that although VAR intervened, the final call rests with the main referee. “Michael Oliver tends to stick to his original decisions in controversial situations, and this is not the first time he has made Liverpool feel wronged at Anfield,” an article in The Telegraph stated.

Meanwhile, the Premier League’s Match Center later reaffirmed their stance: “Amad Diallo’s arm was not in a position that made his body unnaturally bigger, therefore no handball offense under current rules.”

Nevertheless, this did little to calm the anger of Liverpool supporters. On social media, thousands criticized VAR for being “inconsistent,” arguing that similar incidents had previously resulted in penalties.

When asked about the controversy after the match, manager Arne Slot briefly said: “I don’t want to talk about VAR anymore. Everyone saw what happened.”

Manchester United’s 2-1 victory not only earned them their first three points at Anfield in years but also reignited the VAR debate in the Premier League, where every referee decision can influence the entire season.

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