Is Mbeumo’s crucial goal against Liverpool valid?

The Premier League headline match between Liverpool and MU has ended, but debates about Bryan Mbeumo’s early goal continue.

The English derby at Anfield between Liverpool and Manchester United concluded with a 2-1 victory for the “Red Devils.” This marked the second consecutive win for coach Ruben Amorim’s team in the Premier League, while extending Liverpool’s losing streak to four matches—a situation unseen in 11 years. However, the match left many controversies, especially regarding Bryan Mbeumo’s early opening goal.

Just in the 2nd minute, Mbeumo broke through following a through pass from Amad Diallo, controlled the ball, and finished accurately past goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, giving Manchester United a dream start. At that moment, Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister was on the ground holding his head after a collision with teammate Virgil van Dijk. Several Liverpool players signaled to referee Michael Oliver to stop the match, but he allowed play to continue, and moments later, the ball was in the home team’s net.

By standard procedure, the referee should immediately halt the match if a player suffers a head injury to ensure safety. Therefore, Michael Oliver’s decision not to blow the whistle angered Liverpool fans, who believed Mbeumo’s goal should not have been allowed.

However, PGMOL, the organization overseeing referees in England, quickly issued an official explanation. Sky Sports commentator Peter Drury cited PGMOL’s statement: “Referee Michael Oliver did not see the incident where Mac Allister was injured, so he could not stop the match. Therefore, the goal stands.”

In other words, if the referee had noticed the Liverpool player’s head injury before Mbeumo’s goal, he certainly would have stopped play to allow medical staff to enter. Since that did not happen, the goal was valid according to the rules.

After the match, coach Arne Slot also refused to blame the referee’s decision. The Dutch strategist shared: “I don’t want to complain or make excuses. Of course, if a player needed four stitches, the match should have been stopped. But we also must hold ourselves accountable for not reacting quickly enough when Mac Allister went down. That is not the reason Liverpool lost today.”

Despite trying to stay calm, it’s clear this defeat pushes Liverpool into a genuine crisis. Four consecutive losses across all competitions have impacted morale and caused coach Slot’s team to fall behind in the title race. Meanwhile, Manchester United is gradually regaining stability and confidence under Ruben Amorim, with new names like Mbeumo continuing to shine at crucial moments.