Lewis Dunk has raised the question of “what about” Brighton’s VAR decisions in response to Jurgen Klopp’s VAR claim, suggesting that Liverpool isn’t the only club that could make a case for a replay.
Brighton & Hove Albion defender Lewis Dunk contends that Liverpool’s situation is not unique when it comes to VAR controversies. Klopp recently admitted that, as a “football person,” the only reasonable solution would be to replay their match against Tottenham Hotspur, although he acknowledged that it “probably” won’t happen. Klopp’s suggestion arose from the contentious decision to disallow Luis Diaz’s goal against Tottenham due to an incorrect offside call.
The VAR officials at Stockley Park had reviewed the footage but a communication error led to the incorrect decision, as visual evidence indicated that the Liverpool player was onside. After a tumultuous 72 hours that included statements from the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) and complaints from Anfield, an incriminating audio recording was released. At the time, the PGMOL apologized for the “serious error.” However, Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton side also suffered due to an officiating mistake, receiving a third apology from the refereeing body. This occurred when Kaoru Mitoma was denied a penalty after a challenge by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
Dunk, who represents England internationally, made a case for how these decisions negatively impacted Brighton’s season, hindering their pursuit of Champions League qualification. Ultimately, Brighton finished sixth in the Premier League, just behind Liverpool.
“It’s a complex situation,” Dunk remarked. “And it’s a challenging question to address. But if you look back at our match last season against Crystal Palace away, we had an offside decision where they incorrectly identified the player involved as well. So should we go back to last season and replay that game, potentially earning a few extra points and securing a spot in the Champions League instead of the Europa League? It’s a tough decision: should it be replayed or not?