Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has criticised the use of VAR following a controversial incident during the Premier League meeting between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool FC.
Hackett believes Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk was fortunate to avoid a red card after a challenge on Richarlison in the second half, with the Tottenham forward appearing to be through on goal. The former FIFA referee argued that Van Dijk’s contact — placing a hand on Richarlison’s shoulder — amounted to a foul that denied a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Speaking on the incident, Hackett expressed frustration with both the on-field decision and the lack of intervention from VAR.
“I can remember doing a piece in The Telegraph about Virgil van Dijk and seven of his clear, nailed-on offences that went unpunished. Nobody disagreed that they were offences, and he got away with all of them. He’s gotten away with one here. Is he holding the player? Yes. Has he impacted the player? Yes. Therefore, it’s a penalty. I think he’s denied an obvious goalscoring opportunity. Why has everyone ignored it? The video clips are clear. What is VAR doing?”
Hackett acknowledged that match referee Chris Kavanagh may not have had the best view of the incident but insisted that VAR officials should have stepped in.
“The referee hasn’t got the viewing angle that VAR have got. It’s very clearly a holding offence, one which has gone unpunished.”
He later reinforced his stance on social media, stating that the challenge warranted both a penalty and a red card for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity (DOGSO).
The incident has since sparked debate among fans and pundits, once again placing VAR decision-making under scrutiny in the Premier League.
