Arne Slot complains about VAR, and the English referee immediately responds

The game between Liverpool and Brentford in the 10th round of the Premier League once again featured a disputed VAR call, which made coach Arne Slot unable to stay calm.

The turning point came in the 60th minute when defender Virgil van Dijk accidentally fouled Dango Ouattara just outside the penalty area. Referee Tim Robinson initially awarded Brentford a direct free kick, but after VAR review, the incident was judged to have occurred on the 16.5-meter line, resulting in a penalty for Brentford.

Igor Thiago took full advantage, scoring to make it 3-1 before Mohamed Salah reduced the deficit late in the game. However, the penalty goal remained the decisive strike that secured Brentford all three points and deepened Liverpool’s ongoing slump.

Speaking on the program Ref Watch on Sky Sports, former referee Dermot Gallagher stated that VAR fulfilled its role correctly. “That was a penalty only VAR could identify. No referee could see it clearly with the naked eye,” Gallagher said, adding: “The boundary line belongs to the penalty area, so if the collision happens on the line, it’s automatically inside the box. Without technology, it’s impossible to make an accurate call.”

Meanwhile, former striker Jay Bothroyd felt the situation was somewhat “subtle”: “Ouattara moved away from the goal and seemed to intentionally seek contact. According to the rules, it’s a penalty, but clearly the contact was quite light.”

Liverpool’s side showed clear frustration. Coach Arne Slot called the decision “too harsh” and said it changed the course of the match: “If I say it was an unreasonable penalty, I hope you don’t think I’m making excuses. But honestly, it’s very confusing. The referee initially didn’t want to award a foul, but VAR intervened, and suddenly it became a penalty.”

The Dutch coach also recalled the incident where Cody Gakpo fell inside Brentford’s penalty area in the first half but Liverpool was not awarded a penalty: “If you showed both incidents to other referees, probably neither would be given a penalty. But if forced to choose one, I would pick the one for Cody.”

With this result, Liverpool’s crisis deepens, while coach Arne Slot once again witnessed his team lose due to VAR, although he admitted that the so-called technological fairness remains a distant reality in the Premier League.