Liverpool
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Highlights
Referee Anthony Taylor was involved in a key moment that could have impacted the outcome of the Liverpool vs West Ham game. VAR expert Dale Johnson explained that a breakdown in communication led to the controversial decision made by Taylor. Former referee Dermot Gallagher criticised Taylor for not simply blowing his whistle initially, preventing any confusion caused. Liverpool suffered another major blow in their title ambitions over the weekend, as they were held to a 2-2 draw away at West Ham United. Late on in the game, however, the Reds had a chance to seal all three points but were denied by an unusual refereeing decision.
With the score level in the 85th minute of the match, Jurgen Klopp’s team had a corner. The ball popped up into the air and it was caught by goalkeeper Alphonse Areola – who appeared to be bumped by Cody Gakpo.
Referee Anthony Taylor noted it as a foul but signalled for an advantage, without blowing his whistle, as Areola had control of the ball. The goalkeeper seemed to have hurt his ankle and so spent a little while recovering before getting to his feet.
Areola appeared to think it was a foul and so rolled the ball out to restart play. At which point Gakpo raced forward and would have easily been able to score only for Taylor to then blow the whistle to stop play. The moment has sparked controversy but VAR expert Dale Johnson has explained what went wrong.
VAR Expert Weighs in on Gakpo West Ham Incident
“Spirit of the game” is key
In his column for ESPN, Johnson wrote about how “the breakdown in communication happened” because Areola wasn’t looking at the referee as advantage was signalled and so just assumed that the free kick had been given in his favour. Because of this, Gakpo technically “would have been within his rights to put the ball into the net.” Even so, he outlined why it would have been unfair to let Liverpool score:
“The referee retains the right to manage the match in the spirit of the game, and he felt that if he’d failed to make the goalkeeper aware of the advantage it wasn’t fair for Gakpo to have that scoring chance – so he blew the whistle to stop play before the Liverpool striker got to the ball. As there was no goal, there’s nothing for the VAR to check or review.”
He added: “It would have been avoided had Taylor just awarded the free kick, especially as the goalkeeper had gone down. It was the safer option. Also, if he had checked on Areola for a possible injury rather than retreating up the pitch it would have removed any ambiguity.
Taylor could also have just awarded the free kick at the point Areola tossed the ball forward, indicating no advantage. Instead, he allowed the medical staff to come on and check Areola and gave a dropped ball — the correct restart if the referee has deemed play has only been stopped to allow treatment for an injury.”
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Dermot Gallagher Unhappy with Anthony Taylor
Areola mess “could have been avoided very easily”
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher seemed to be unhappy with Taylor for not simply blowing the whistle in the first place. Speaking on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, he explained: “It’s a mess that could have been avoided very easily.”
“Areola grabs the ball – I think he collides with the post. Anthony Taylor, for whatever reason, signals advantage. But when he goes back upfield, Areola throws the ball to the ground. The referee sees it, blows up and decides the goalkeeper needs treatment.
“He’s dug himself out well by seeing Gakpo’s closing in and the player needs treatment, but one wonders if it had gone in the net. But he originally decided he didn’t need treatment. That’s where he makes the mistake – he turns his back on the ball. For that period, you’re not in control of the situation.”
Interestingly enough, there was a similar kind of incident in the Champions League tie between Arsenal and Bayern Munich in April. This time, David Raya passed the ball to Gabriel who then picked it up, not realising the the ball was in play. It could have been given as a penalty but the referee ordered a simple retake, applying “common sense” to the rules of the game.