Liverpool Contact PGMOL Over Disallowed Van Dijk Goal in Premier League Defeat to Manchester City

Liverpool Raise Concerns With PGMOL Over Referee Decision

Liverpool have reached out to the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) to express serious concerns regarding the referee’s decision to disallow Virgil van Dijk’s goal in their Premier League defeat against Manchester City.

Van Dijk’s first-half header, which could have brought Liverpool level at 1-1, was ruled out after Andy Robertson was judged to be in an offside position and impeding goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The VAR review upheld the on-field decision, and the goal was not awarded. Liverpool later lost the match 3-0.

Liverpool Believe a Mistake Was Made

Despite accepting the overall result, Liverpool maintain that the decision to disallow the goal was incorrect.
After reviewing multiple camera angles, the club concluded that Robertson did not block Donnarumma’s view or interfere with his ability to play the ball.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot expressed frustration after the match, comparing the incident to a goal scored by John Stones for Manchester City last season under similar circumstances — also officiated by referee Chris Kavanagh.

Slot said:

Robertson: “That Goal Should Have Stood”

Liverpool defender Andy Robertson also questioned the decision, insisting he did nothing to impede Donnarumma’s movement.

“I ducked out of the way of the ball and never blocked his sightline,” Robertson said. “From my perspective, the goal should have stood.”

PGMOL Yet to Respond to Liverpool Complaint

As of Monday evening, the PGMOL had not issued an official response to Liverpool’s concerns. However, the Premier League Match Centre later explained on X (formerly Twitter) that Robertson was “in an offside position and made an obvious action directly in front of the goalkeeper.”

That statement was community-noted, with users clarifying that an “obvious action” alone does not constitute offside — it must clearly impact an opponent’s ability to play the ball.

Ref Watch Analysis: Was VAR Right?

The incident was debated on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, where former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher described the situation as “subjective” and a “grey area.”

“VAR didn’t intervene because the on-field decision was no goal,” Gallagher explained. “Unless there’s a clear and obvious error, VAR won’t send the referee to review. Robertson was close to the goalkeeper, so they felt it was enough to back the original decision.”

However, former player Jay Bothroyd disagreed, saying Donnarumma’s view was not blocked.

“Robertson ducked — he didn’t move toward the ball or attempt to play it,” Bothroyd said. “It was a poor decision and the goal should have stood.”

Growing Debate Over VAR and Offside Calls

The disallowed goal adds to the ongoing VAR and referee controversy in the Premier League, with fans and managers frequently questioning the consistency of decisions. Liverpool’s latest complaint highlights the need for clearer guidelines on how “interfering with play” is interpreted in modern football.