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Liverpool cemented their place as Premier League leaders with a 1-0 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday in a game that was embroiled in a fair share of controversy.
Sadio Mane was awarded the only goal of the game after an Adam Lallana touch almost had it disqualified for handball. A minute later, Pedro Neto was denied an equalizer for the visitors after Jonny was deemed offside seconds before the goal.
The decision to give the hosts a goal is believed to be one of the few correct judgments made by VAR in a Christmas period that has been plagued with contention surrounding football's newest technology.
The newly-crowned Club World Cup champions walked into the game with a high level of confidence after sweeping second-placed Leicester City aside with an emphatic 0-4 victory at the King Power Stadium.
Meanwhile, Wolves had dramatically overturned a two-goal deficit to beat reigning champions Manchester City and were not low on morale themselves.
While the win restores the Reds' lead at the summit of the English top-flight to 13 points, Wolves' defeat (and Chelsea's win over Arsenal) means they are now languishing in seventh place.
In this article, we analyze three talking points from the crucial fixture at Anfield:
#1 Liverpool complete a calendar year unbeaten at home in the Premier League
Liverpool brought an incredible close to their 2019 as their win over Wolverhampton Wanderers helped them complete a full calendar year unbeaten at Anfield in the Premier League.
The Merseyside giants are now unbeaten in 50 home league games, having won 40 and drawn 10 so far. The achievement marks only the third time any club has gone 50 games without a loss in English top-flight history. Chelsea previously achieved it with 86 games between 2004 and 2008 while the Reds themselves did the same with 63 games between 1978 and 1980.
In addition to the record, Jurgen Klopp's men can also add a sixth Champions League crown, the UEFA Super Cup, and a first-ever Club World Cup as markers for their spectacular year.
#2 VAR once again takes center stage in the Premier League
VAR was once again a controversial talking point as a Wolves equalizer against the Reds was ruled out for offside by the narrowest of margins just before the break.
Shortly after having an effort blocked outside the area and two successive corners, the visitors were denied an equalizer as Pedro Neto seemingly swept home a goal at the back post only for Jonny to be deemed offside when he was involved in the buildup. Nuno Espírito Santo was visibly furious at the decision to even consult football's latest refereeing technology and received a booking before the contentious judgment was made.
The verdict was the second time the visitors were left feeling hard done by VAR as they were previously on the verge of seeing Sadio Mane's opener disallowed for a handball against Adam Lallana. The goal was, however, rightfully given to the European champions by referee Anthony Taylor, offering them some kind of reprieve from what at times looked like a sleepy half.
VAR was a subject of dissension throughout the festive period, including Tottenham Hotspurs' 2-2 draw against Norwich City at Carrow Road when Teemu Pukki thought he had doubled the lead for the Canaries only for the goal to be ruled out due to a narrow offside.
#3 Sadio Mane steps up once again
Liverpool weren't the only ones to cap off an outstanding year as Sadio Mane deservedly ended his year with a winning goal. His effort was initially ruled out by referee Anthony Taylor, who thought Adam Lallana was in line to be penalized for a handball in the buildup. A correct VAR judgment saw the decision ruled in the Reds' favor as they took home all three points from the fixture.
The Senegal international's winner against Wolves made him only the second player in the Premier League to have been directly involved in 30 or more goals, having tallied 24 goals and 6 assists this calendar year alone. Leicester City's Jamie Vardy is the only other player to have achieved the same with 34 direct goal involvements.
In addition, the 27-year-old forward has now tallied at least ten goals in six consecutive seasons in the English top-flight; a testament to his efficiency and consistency as a player.
