‘VAR right not to call a penalty’ in Liverpool-City game, says Webb

Howard Webb, head of referees, stated that the video assistant referee (VAR) made the correct decision by not intervening when Liverpool was not awarded a late penalty in their recent 1-1 draw with Manchester City.

During the match’s final moments, City’s winger Jeremy Doku made contact with Alexis Mac Allister with a high boot in the penalty area. However, on-field referee Michael Oliver did not deem it a foul, and VAR Stuart Attwell concurred.

“This incident has sparked a lot of debate,” Webb commented. “It’s one of those situations where, had the referee awarded the penalty on the field, VAR would have confirmed it after review. Conversely, since no penalty was given, VAR’s decision stands.”

VAR audio of the Mac Allister and Doku incident from the Man City game has been released. 👇

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Webb explained further, “Michael Oliver noted that the ball was between two players moving towards it. The trajectory of the ball was too low for a header. Doku raised his foot to play the ball and made contact with it. While there was also contact on Mac Allister, he was not actively engaging with the ball either. So, I can understand why opinions are divided.”

Liverpool’s manager Jurgen Klopp and Mac Allister believed that the challenge warranted a penalty for their team.

“VAR remained uninvolved, which is consistent with what we would expect,” Webb concluded on Match Officials Mic’d Up, a Premier League Productions show that analyzes VAR decisions from past matches.