After Mohamed Salah’s goal was disallowed in the 37th minute, another moment of contention came just six minutes later when Luis Diaz had his goal ignored in the 43rd minute.
Despite Liverpool’s protests and mounting frustration, Nottingham Forest held on to their slender lead, securing a crucial victory at the City Ground.
The disallowed goal by Salah came from a perfectly timed through-ball, with the Egyptian calmly finishing past Forest’s goalkeeper.
However, VAR ruled him offside after a lengthy review, despite replays showing that it was an incredibly tight call. Liverpool’s momentum was immediately disrupted by the decision, but it wasn’t the end of their VAR troubles.
Just six minutes later, Luis Diaz scored what Liverpool believed was the equalizer, but again the goal was overlooked, with no review or intervention from VAR.
The Liverpool bench was visibly agitated, as they felt that they had been wronged by officiating for the second time in the match.
Once again, the Reds were left to rue missed opportunities and controversial decisions that went against them.
Nottingham Forest capitalized on these moments, scoring the only goal of the game shortly after halftime. A header from Taiwo Awoniyi proved to be the winner, as Liverpool failed to break through the Forest defense despite dominating possession and creating several chances.
The result leaves Liverpool with more questions than answers, particularly about the role of VAR in their recent matches.
Fans and pundits alike are calling for more consistency in how the technology is applied, as Liverpool’s push for a top-four finish takes another hit.
