Liverpool have won all three out of their first three Premier League games to commence the Arne Slot era successfully. No team in the Premier League has scored against the Reds so far, showcasing their formidable defensive performances.
Liverpool’s attack has maintained the same level of performance to complement the defence and secure nine crucial points so far. They beat their arch-rival Manchester United in a dominating fashion, taking control of all aspects of the Old Trafford game.
The Merseyside giants have put aside the concerns raised by several fans after their quiet transfer window during the summer. Liverpool suffered from the sudden dip in form and injury crisis last season which was the main cause for concerns.
However, the new tactics from Slot and the team’s willingness to adapt while supervising their fitness could avoid past problems. Meanwhile, there is one problem that is beyond the control of the fans, players and the club and most problematic.
Liverpool suffered the most from poor refereeing and use of technology during the last season which cost them several points. The Reds suffered from several blatantly wrong calls and contentious decisions that refereeing associations explained by making the situation’s interpretation subjective.
The decisions like disallowing a legitimate goal from Luis Diaz against Tottenham Hotspur, and three handballs in three different games hurt Liverpool. Furthermore, the Reds also suffered title game-changing decisions like Jeremy Doku’s late high boot foul on Alexis Mac Allister.
While Liverpool beat United easily in the game ending with a 0-3 scoreline, an incident once again caused great concern. United’s new signing Noussair Mazraoui fouled Cody Gakpo when the Dutchman used quick reflexes to shield the ball from tackle.
Referee Anthony Taylor spotted the incident and allowed an advantage with the idea that the tackle happened outside the box. However, the replay showed that the tackle happened inside the box for a textbook penalty in Liverpool’s favour.
The VAR opted to ignore the situation instead of reviewing it professionally and informing the on-field referee about the incident. Sky Sports reporter Neil Mellor used his X account to voice concern about the use of VAR during that incident. He said:
“Referee sees foul on Gakpo and indicates advantage… Nunez shoots wide. Contact was inside the area… so why hasn’t VAR told him he was right and contact in the area so should be a pen? Baffling decision”
New rules this season
Liverpool fans are hoping for better refereeing this season as this persistent problem has cost them several trophies before. The new rules state that referees cannot officiate a match where there is a conflict of interest.
Nevertheless, the FA appointed Taylor as the referee for the game between Liverpool and United despite his association with Manchester. Furthermore, Taylor has faced stern criticism for his past refereeing decisions in the games involving Liverpool.
The season is just beginning and the Gakpo decision didn’t cause any damage as Liverpool won the game comfortably. However, there is a big potential for dire consequences if similar incidents occur during the closely contested games as they happened last season.
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The problems with VAR have invited a lot of debate, with some blaming the technology while others blame the officials. At the end of the day, bad decisions against Liverpool involved poor officiating, something the club don’t want to face again.
