Liverpool knows what a real refereeing controversy looks like. Luis Díaz was at the heart of one earlier this season, when the officials came to the conclusion that Jürgen Klopp’s side should be awarded a goal against Spurs, only for a miscommunication to prevent it being given.
It was an error of a kind never seen before, and could yet have far-reaching consequences, with the Premier League title race extremely tight. That defeat is still one of only two that Liverpool has suffered. Yet Klopp was roundly vilified for even mentioning the word ‘replay’.
Bizarrely, however, Liverpool has had to contend with huge uproar following its far less controversial late winner against Nottingham Forest. It was genuinely difficult to work out what had riled up the hosts at the full-time whistle, but it later transpired that the furore stemmed from a drop ball awarded close to two minutes before Darwin Núñez headed in the winner.
There’s little doubt that Nottingham Forest has a valid case in law. Paul Tierney should not have given an uncontested drop ball to Liverpool after stopping the game for a head injury to Ibrahima Konaté, because Nuno Espirito Santo’s side was in possession at the time play was halted.
This is an error in law, and therefore of a different class to the errors in fact that are made every week by referees. It’s not the same as simply not spotting a foul, and so it’s understandable why Nottingham Forest would be annoyed.
But it is so far removed from Liverpool’s eventual goal, the fuss is hard to fathom. The mistake in protocol that denied Díaz against Spurs had an immediate effect; Nottingham Forest had a lot of time to prevent Tierney’s error from causing so much damage, including a spell where it had regained possession of the ball.
Ultimately, the refereeing mistake and the goal are not linked in any notably substantial way, and the controversy has been blown out of all proportion. Nevertheless, Premier League striker Michail Antonio has claimed Díaz played a ‘genius’ role in making it happen.
Antonio, who has made headlines this season for outlandishly predicting West Ham will finish above Liverpool, noticed that Díaz passed the ball back to Caoimhín Kelleher in the aftermath of the Konaté stoppage. He suggests that could have influenced Tierney.
I rate Díaz because that passback got them the ball,” said Antonio, speaking on the Footballer’s Football Podcast. “He kicked it back to the keeper which is genius. That confused the referee, and he’s seen that it’s back at the keeper and he’s said alright it’s Liverpool’s. [But] There are four other officials and someone needs to say that’s a Forest ball.”
