The Premier League issued two statements regarding the VAR incidents during Liverpool’s contentious draw with Fulham on Saturday, highlighting the significant human error of VAR in the match…

The Premier League issued two statements regarding the VAR incidents during Liverpool’s contentious draw with Fulham on Saturday, highlighting the significant role of VAR in the match.

In response to the VAR controversy surrounding Liverpool, the Premier League released two statements, and Van Dijk commented on the referee’s decisions.

A total of nine yellow cards were distributed, with seven shown before the 60-minute mark, as the Premier League leaders managed to secure a 2-2 draw despite being reduced to ten players early in the game due to Andrew Robertson’s red card.

Early cautions were given to Andreas Pereira, Luis Diaz, and Issa Diop, with VAR reviewing Diop’s foul for a potential red card, prompting a statement from the Premier League Match Centre.

Their communication on X stated: “The referee issued a yellow card to Diop for a challenge on Robertson.

VAR reviewed the incident for a possible red card and upheld the referee’s decision, deeming it a reckless challenge deserving of a yellow card.”

Despite the review of Diop’s challenge, many believed that Pereira should have received a red card for his foul.

This belief intensified when Pereira later scored, leading to further debate, particularly from former Premier League referee Mike Dean on Sky Sports.

“Based on the discussions from the week regarding the [Match Officials Mic’d Up] program by Howard [Webb], it was a similar challenge to the one Ndidi made on Cole Palmer.

He went above the Achilles and then dragged down. He was nowhere near the ball and was aware of his actions. It should have been a red card,” Dean asserted.

Ultimately, it was Liverpool who faced a numerical disadvantage when Robertson was sent off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity after a misjudged touch led him to foul Harry Wilson as he advanced towards goal.

In light of the recent decision, the Premier League Match Centre stated: “The referee issued a red card to Robertson for a foul on Wilson that denied a clear goalscoring opportunity. VAR reviewed the situation to confirm the red card and to ensure that Wilson was in an onside position.”

Van Dijk criticizes ‘nervous’ referee following Anfield stalemate

In a post-match interview, Reds captain Van Dijk addressed the draw, expressing his frustration with referee Tony Harrington, whom he described as “nervous” and unable to “effectively communicate” with the players.

“I spoke with the Fulham players, and we all felt that the referee was nervous,” Van Dijk remarked, according to the Daily Mail.

“I sensed he struggled to communicate properly with Robertson.

“However, we cannot solely blame the referee. It shouldn’t overshadow the fact that we dropped points.

“It is what it is. We need to accept the outcome, recover quickly, and prepare for the match on Wednesday.”

Arne Slot adopted a more measured tone after the match, stating: “We must accept what VAR determines.

These decisions are crucial. We ended up with a draw, and I don’t believe we can hold the referee accountable for that.

“There were instances where I could have received a yellow card. These are close calls, and when some decisions go against you, you hope others will favor you, but I didn’t feel that was the case today.

“There was a situation where one of their players, already on a yellow card, could have been cautioned again.”