Arne Slot frustrated by VAR decisions despite Chelsea victory
Curtis Jones shone as Liverpool beat Chelsea in incident-packed game
Liverpool manager Arne Slot downplayed the significance of some contentious decisions but voiced his frustration over two key calls during the Reds’ win against Chelsea.
Curtis Jones secured the victory for Liverpool, scoring early in the second half after Nicolas Jackson had equalised Mohamed Salah’s first-half opener.
However, controversy surrounded an earlier incident when Jones was denied a penalty following a VAR intervention.
Referee John Brooks initially awarded a penalty after Jones was brought down by Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
But after a VAR review, it was determined that Sanchez had made enough contact with the ball, leading Brooks to reverse his decision.
Slot also questioned whether Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo should have remained on the pitch after his challenge on Diogo Jota in the first half.
Tosin received a yellow card, but comparisons were drawn to the red card Arsenal defender William Saliba received in a similar situation against Bournemouth the previous evening.
“It’s not so important any more because we won, but I think it could have been a crucial decision for the VAR to overturn the referee’s decision on the pitch, which I couldn’t understand,” Slot told Sky Sports.
“I think if the referee looks at it for a minute, it already shows that the VAR shouldn’t have interfered.
“Even, in my opionion, if you look at it on the screen you still feel it’s a penalty.
“Then there was the possible decision of the red card, which I saw yesterday was a red card in a similar situation.
“Big decisions because penalties or red cards influence the game a lot, but it’s also nice that these moments are inside the game because it also creates a lot of energy.
“The fans really stood up today as well, they helped us a lot and that probably comes from these decisions as well, because they’re just as biased as I am.
“In the end a good win against a very strong Chelsea.”
The Premier League announced the overturned penalty through its Match Centre social media account.
“The referee awarded a penalty to Liverpool for a foul by Sanchez on Jones,” the statement read.
“The VAR deemed that Sanchez won the ball and no foul was committed and recommended an on-field review. The referee overturned the original decision and play restarted with a drop ball.”
Read more: Curtis Jones reacts after scoring in Liverpool’s win over Chelsea
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