Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett criticized VAR after Liverpool’s dramatic defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
A former Premier League referee claimed VAR made referees “lazy” after the match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.
The Reds lost 2-1 in the last minute in North London thanks to an unlucky own goal from Joel Matip. Cody Gakpo leveled in the first half as the opener and nine-man Son Heung-min’s Liverpool battled their way to an impressive point.
While the stories may usually surround a dramatic defeat or the two red cards shown to Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota, the post-match headlines were dominated by offsides. Before Spurs opened the scoring, Luis Diaz looked set to give the Reds the lead after being caught behind the opposition backline. Diaz appeared to be involved, but VAR did not overturn the initial decision and play quickly resumed. PGMOL confirmed that “significant human error” caused the goal to be disallowed, and former Premier League referee Keith Hackett blasted the widespread use of VAR in the Premier League.
“I don’t think VAR has lived up to its promise,” Hackett wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “It was intended to increase the accuracy of the decision-making process.
“Judges have become lazy, indecisive, reactionary, not proactive. The cards are flashed, which reduces their effectiveness as a deterrent. VAR doesn’t work.”
The game’s two VAR referees, Darren England and Dan Cook, were later stripped of their remaining Premier League duties for the final round.
It’s also not the first time that Liverpool have got a referee’s call wrong.
Alexis Mac Allister, for example, was shown a straight red card against Bournemouth for his challenge on Ryan Christie in August. VAR prevented referee Thomas Bramall from reviewing his original decision, but Mac Allister’s three-match ban was overturned on appeal when he was dismissed.
