The Premier League says VAR was right to allow Florian Wirtz’s goal for Liverpool against Fulham.
Liverpool were losing 1-0 when Wirtz scored in the second half at Craven Cottage. At first, the linesman flagged him offside. However, the video assistant referee checked the decision using offside technology and decided the goal should stand.
The decision was very close. In the Premier League, there is a small margin allowed when judging tight offside calls, often called “thicker lines.” Wirtz benefited from this small allowance, which helped the goal be given.
In other leagues like Germany, Italy, or Spain, where no such margin is used, the goal would have been ruled offside.
Many fans were confused because TV replays made it look like Wirtz was clearly ahead of the defender. Fulham manager Marco Silva strongly disagreed with the decision, calling it a clear offside and saying the club had complained to referees’ officials.
However, the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents Panel fully supported the VAR decision. They said the call was correct because the offside was extremely tight and the league’s rules allow for that small margin.
The confusion came from the TV replay using a slightly different moment to freeze the image. VAR judged the offside based on the exact moment Conor Bradley first touched the ball, while the TV image froze the action a fraction later, making Wirtz appear further ahead.
The match eventually finished 2-2.
