The English Premier League (EPL) is in the midst of a officiating controversy.

Liverpool lost 1-2 to Tottenham Hotspur at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday in the seventh round of the 2023-24 EPL, with two players sent off. It was an unfair loss for Liverpool. They lost a legitimate goal. 

It was a game that featured a crucial offside call. In the 34th minute, a goal by Liverpool’s Luis Diaz was ruled offside. The VAR (video assistant referee) ruled it offside. It was a clear error.

The Reds suffered their first defeat of the season and dropped to fourth place with a record of 5-1-1. Tottenham, who benefited from the call, moved to second place in the league with 5 wins and 2 draws.

After the game, Jürgen Klopp was furious: “I have never played a game in such unfair conditions. It was an insane call,” he said, expressing his strong dissatisfaction with the officiating.

The Professional Game Management Organization of England (PGMOL) also acknowledged the error. In a statement, the PGMOL said: “There was a significant refereeing error in the first half of the match between Tottenham and Liverpool. Dias’ goal should have been awarded as a goal. A clear mistake by the referees who failed to see it.”

Liverpool didn’t sit idly by. In a post-match statement, the Reds were outraged that “the essence of the sport has been compromised by a flawed VAR”. “Liverpool has demanded that PGMOL release the audio recordings of the referees’ conversations regarding the offside call,” the BBC and other British media reported. This is because there was allegedly a miscommunication between the referee and the assistant referee. In response, PGMOL began to consider releasing the audio recordings. 메이저사이트

In the midst of all this, former Tottenham owner Alan Sugar came out in strong support of Liverpool. He had no choice but to do so in front of the referee.   

“Tottenham vs Liverpool. I’m a Tottenham fan. But I think you can make a case for Liverpool being unfair. That goal should have been disallowed, and the repercussions of that error could cost Liverpool the season.”