They did it again I use to say “Premier League and VAR” are against Liverpool progress, but no one is believing me. Shocking proof that Liverpool were robbed against Everton. Furious at VAR influence on referee team after controversial moment in the derby They did it again, 😱😳🙅😳🙅😱😱 I use to say “VAR is against Liverpool” but no one is believing me😱🙅🙅🙅🙅.
Liverpool Denied Late Victory in Controversial Merseyside Derby
Liverpool supporters held their breath as James Tarkowski’s stoppage-time equalizer underwent a VAR review in Wednesday night’s heated Merseyside derby.
Despite hopes for a reversal, the goal was confirmed, forcing Liverpool to settle for a single point instead of the anticipated three.
Tarkowski’s dramatic strike in the 98th minute was just one of several contentious moments in a match that, surprisingly, saw no red cards during play but resulted in four dismissals after the final whistle. Referee Michael Oliver once again found himself in the spotlight.
Conceding a late equalizer is always frustrating, but when it happens in a high-stakes local rivalry under debatable circumstances, the disappointment is even greater.
Oliver had already allowed play to continue beyond the initial five minutes of stoppage time when Tarkowski scored. However, a two-minute delay for a collision between Jarrad Branthwaite and Carlos Alcaraz at 93:43 contributed to the extended play.
VAR Decision Favors Everton
Everton’s celebrations were briefly paused as VAR examined the goal for potential infractions, including an offside in the buildup and a possible foul by Beto on Ibrahima Konate. In the end, both calls went in Everton’s favor—though not without controversy.
According to Football Offsides on X, which independently analyzes VAR decisions, Abdoulaye Doucouré appeared to be marginally offside before Tarkowski’s goal. However, due to the system’s built-in margin of tolerance, the goal was allowed to stand.
The Ongoing Debate Over VAR Consistency
While some argue that tight offside calls should not overturn a goal, the rule is typically enforced in a black-and-white manner—either a player is offside or they aren’t.
Liverpool fans may recall a similar incident in October 2020, when Sadio Mane was deemed offside by the slimmest of margins, leading to Jordan Henderson’s would-be winner being ruled out.
Adding to the frustration, that same game saw Jordan Pickford avoid punishment for a dangerous challenge that resulted in Virgil van Dijk suffering a season-ending ACL injury.
Beyond the offside discussion, replays showed Beto appearing to push Konate in the penalty area just before the goal, raising questions about how VAR officials missed the incident.
While Liverpool’s performance may not have matched the standards of a title-contending side, the controversial nature of the equalizer will leave a lingering sense of injustice.
With the result now final, the Reds must regroup and shift their focus to securing three poi
nts against Wolves on Sunday.
