VAR had been the scourge of Liverpool fans’ lives earlier in the season, but we ended up being grateful for it today!
Just before the half-hour mark at Selhurst Park, Virgil van Dijk brought down Odsonne Edouard in the Reds’ penalty area, with a spot kick being awarded to Crystal Palace.
However, Andy Madley was called to the pitchside monitor to review a possible foul by Will Hughes on Wataru Endo in the build-up, and the on-field referee duly cancelled out the penalty, and by proxy the LFC captain’s yellow card.
The decision naturally met with fury from the home supporters but Liverpool’s Japanese midfielder was clearly impeded, and thankfully the officials arrived at the right decision. Indeed, an impartial observer in former top-flight ref Mike Dean carried the same view.
Maybe VAR isn’t so bad after all!
You can view the incident below, via @footballontnt on X (formerly Twitter):
Penalty shout for Crystal Palace but the decision was overturned upon review ❌
Virgil van Dijk's yellow card also rescinded 🟨
Was this the right decision? pic.twitter.com/MLekQholSZ
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 9, 2023