EPL 2023/24: Exact reason why VAR disallowed Liverpool star Luis Diaz's goal against Tottenham revealed

A VAR expert has uncovered the precise reason behind the controversial disallowance of Luis Diaz's goal during the Premier League clash between Tottenham and Liverpool, shedding further light on what proved to be an embarrassing moment for the referees' body, PGMOL. PGMOL, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited, publicly acknowledged a "significant human error" as the cause behind the incorrect disallowance of Diaz's first-half goal during the match. Although the 26-year-old believed he had given Liverpool a lead with a well-executed finish, the assistant referee had raised the flag for offside.

Following an unusually swift VAR check by Darren England, it was notably observed that the customary offside line graphic was not displayed. At halftime, beIN SPORTS presented footage to viewers, indicating that Diaz had been onside when the ball was played to him.

This incident had a pivotal impact on the match's outcome. Liverpool, who found themselves reduced to nine players in the second half after Diogo Jota's second bookable offense following Curtis Jones' earlier red card, eventually lost the game 2-1.

Son Heung-min opened the scoring for Spurs in the 36th minute, with Cody Gakpo equalizing just before halftime. Despite their determined efforts with nine players, Liverpool conceded an unfortunate own goal by Joel Matip in the final moments, resulting in three points for Ange Postecoglou's side and leaving Jurgen Klopp's team feeling unfortunate.

In response to PGMOL's admission of the error, Klopp stated, "We will not gain points from it, so it doesn't help. I think what everyone wants is, not everybody expects 100% correct decisions on the field, but I think we all thought when VAR comes in, it might make things easier." Undoubtedly, this incident represents one of the most significant VAR mistakes since the technology's introduction, if not the most significant.

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ESPN's Dale Johnson has now unveiled the precise reason for the disallowed goal, making the situation even more embarrassing for PGMOL and more difficult to accept for Liverpool Football Club.

Johnson explained that the VAR, Darren England, checked the offside, presuming that the on-field decision was "goal." The offside check was conducted quickly because it was evident that Diaz was onside, and he informed the referee that the "check was complete." By saying "check complete," he was affirming that the on-field decision was accurate.

Therefore, the "human error" by the VAR team stemmed from getting the on-field decision wrong, rather than any failure in drawing lines, etc. The lines had been drawn, and it was clear that Diaz was onside. The colossal and almost unbelievable error lay in the misunderstanding of the on-field decision.

Once Spurs took the free-kick for the offside, for which they were positioned, the decision could not be reversed. One can only imagine the atmosphere in the VAR room when that free-kick was taken.

Indeed, this revelation adds further weight to the gravity of the situation, and its potential consequences for Liverpool, who could have topped the Premier League table with a victory, as they currently sit fourth in the league standings, one point behind second-placed Spurs and two points behind leaders Manchester City.

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