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Premier League Explain Why Virgil van Dijk’s Header Was Ruled Out Against Man City

The wording of the Premier League’s VAR explanation has given way to controversy.

Grey Whitebloom

Virgil van Dijk (left) was thwarted by referee Chris Kavanagh.
Virgil van Dijk (left) was thwarted by referee Chris Kavanagh. / Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Andy Robertson was judged to have been in an offside position in the buildup to Virgil van Dijk’s disallowed equaliser against Manchester City on Sunday afternoon, yet the Premier League’s description of the incident presented as many questions as answers.

VAR had already intervened to award Manchester City a penalty in the ninth minute of a delicately poised Premier League contest at the Etihad. The officials found themselves under scrutiny once again before the half-time interval.

Erling Haaland had made up for his early penalty miss to put City in front shortly before Liverpool earned their first corner of the game in the 38th minute. Van Dijk managed to shake off the close man-marking brief of Rúben Dias to get a firm forehead on the ball, directing his header back the way it had come to completely wrong-foot Gianluigi Donnarumma as the ball nestled in the bottom corner.

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The outspoken Dutch international wheeled away to the opposite corner flag and celebrated what he thought was the equaliser only to have his jubilation punctured by the referee’s whistle.

The on-pitch assistant had flagged for offside, singling out Robertson as the offending party. The experienced Scot was behind the deepest City defender and stood a yard away from Donnarumma. As the Premier League’s Match Centre promptly explained, Robertson was “in an offside position and deemed to be making an obvious action directly in front of the goalkeeper.”

The wording of this statement—notably the phrase, “directly in front”—drew instant ire as it was interpreted to mean in Donnarumma’s line of sight. Robertson, as was repeatedly pointed out in the immediate aftermath, was instead stood on the goalkeeper’s left and not in his field of vision when Van Dijk made contact with the ball.

However, the 31-year-old fullback did have to duck to avoid making contact with the ball as it whistled over his head and into the net. Not everyone stood in an offside position is inherently interfering with play. Law 11 in the FA Handbook outlines that a player can be considered to be “in active play” by “preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball.”

While he may not be blocking Donnarumma’s eyeline, Robertson is in very close proximity to the goalkeeper as he sprawls towards Van Dijk’s effort.

Reaction to Liverpool’s Disallowed Goal vs. Man City

Arne Slot pirouetted furiously on the touchline when the on-field decision was confirmed by VAR, shouting into his winter coat as Liverpool were denied an equaliser. His mood wasn’t helped by the sight of Nico González firing City into a 2–0 lead on the cusp of half-time, with his long-range effort ironically diverting off the luckless Van Dijk.

Some onlookers were unimpressed with the referee’s decision, pointing out that Donnarumma’s eyeline wasn’t blocked by Robertson.

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Grey Whitebloom
GREY WHITEBLOOM

Grey Whitebloom is a writer, reporter and editor for Sports Illustrated FC. Born and raised in London, he is an avid follower of German, Italian and Spanish top flight football.

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