Liverpool issue statement in response to PGMOL's apology for refereeing errors in Reds' loss to Tottenham

Liverpool have publicized their discontent over the erroneous decision to disqualify Luis Diaz's goal in their recent 2-1 loss against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. The Merseyside club has labeled the situation "unacceptable," citing the preservation of sporting integrity as the key issue.

In a post-match clarification, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) admitted that Diaz's goal was wrongly disallowed due to an oversight by VAR officials.

The statement, released by Liverpool on the club website, went beyond simply lamenting the disallowed goal:

“We fully accept the pressures that match officials work under but these pressures are supposed to be alleviated, not exacerbated, by the existence and implementation of VAR. It is therefore unsatisfactory that sufficient time was not afforded to allow the correct decision to be made and that there was no subsequent intervention."

Liverpool criticized the PGMOL for classifying the incident as a "significant human error," stating that this label is in itself "unacceptable":

“That such failings have already been categorized as 'significant human error' is also unacceptable. Any and all outcomes should be established only by the review and with full transparency.

“This is vital for the reliability of future decision-making as it applies to all clubs, with learnings being used to make improvements to processes in order to ensure this kind of situation cannot occur again. In the meantime, we will explore the range of options available, given the clear need for escalation and resolution.”

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Darren England and Dan Cook removed from Premier League officiating duties in wake of Liverpool-Tottenham controversy

Following their contentious decision to disallow the Luis Diaz goal, VAR officials Darren England and Dan Cook have been suspended from their Premier League responsibilities.

England was initially scheduled to be the fourth official in Nottingham Forest's game against Brentford. His assistant, Cook, was supposed to take up a role as assistant referee in Fulham's derby against Chelsea on Monday. However, both officials have been replaced, marking a swift and decisive response following the disallowed goal.

This controversial incident occurred when Liverpool's Luis Diaz broke away from Tottenham's defense at the 34-minute mark and put the ball past the goalkeeper, Vicario. Though the linesman initially flagged Diaz for offside, VAR did not draw the offside lines during its review, culminating in a decision widely criticized for its lack of due diligence.

PGMOL conceded that the VAR officials' mishandling of Diaz's goal constituted "significant human error." England and Cook have now been removed from their upcoming assignments, but the situation will call for a review of the current implementation of VAR.