All things considered, it’s difficult to say that Liverpool and Arne Slot didn’t deserve to win against Chelsea, even if the visitors shined at Anfield.
Despite losing, Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea side demonstrated how far they’ve gone under their new boss by seizing the lead against Liverpool early on.
In that regard, Liverpool also passed a significant test; many still pointed out that Slot had not to face a ‘top’ side despite his success in England thus far.
But, with Curtis Jones at the core of their performance, Liverpool demonstrated their willingness to go all the way in the title battle, which they will want to prove in London next weekend.
Alan Shearer believes Liverpool were unfairly denied a penalty against Chelsea.
That being said, when speaking on ‘The Rest Is Football’ podcast, Alan Shearer was taken aback by one VAR judgment made after Liverpool’s 2-1 victory.
VAR overturned Liverpool’s second penalty, determining that Robert Sanchez did not foul Curtis Jones.
And, speaking with Gary Lineker on the podcast, Shearer was sure that it was the wrong call, believing the penalty should have stood.
Shearer stated: “We were told about the high bar, and sometimes winning the ball or getting a touch on it isn’t enough.
“If you wipe the player out, that might also be considered a foul or a penalty. That is what I assumed it was.
“And I assumed that once the referee made the call, he would never overrule it. And I was very astonished that he did.”
Lineker answered, “I wasn’t that surprised. My argument on that one is that when two players are coming at each other, Jones’ touch was certainly a little too heavy.
“So it got nearly 50/50 between the two. And you have two players moving in opposite directions quite swiftly and aggressively. I believe the only way this may be considered a foul is if the individual does not arrive first.
“And I thought once the keeper gets there first, they’re both basically just colliding into each other.”
Curtis Jones ran the show against Chelsea.
Fortunately, the controversial VAR ruling had little impact on the game’s outcome; Liverpool triumphed despite being denied another penalty kick.
To be fair, this is a subjective decision that will divide opinion. But perhaps this explains why VAR should not have intervened; it is difficult to conclude that there was a ‘clear and apparent’ error.
In that circumstance, many people would undoubtedly like to see the referee’s decision affirmed.
On a different note, Jamie Carragher noticed something uncommon about Slot during Sunday’s victory: a manager who was clearly caught up with the significance of the match.
That being said, Liverpool now faces some difficult league games in order to maintain their near-perfect start.
