Premier League panel issue key ruling on Virgil Van Dijk’s disallowed Liverpool goal against Manchester City | OneFootball

A verdict has now emerged from a significant Premier League panel concerning Virgil Van Dijk’s disallowed goal for Liverpool in the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City.

Liverpool’s trip to the Etihad Stadium carried major weight in the early title picture, with both sides knowing a result could help shape the Premier League narrative heading into the traditionally hectic winter schedule.

The game’s turning point arrived late in the first half when Van Dijk’s header appeared to haul Liverpool level, only for referee Chris Kavanagh and his assistant Stuart Burt to chalk it off as a result of Andy Robertson’s positioning, with the defender judged to be interfering with City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

The incident ignited heated debate as Liverpool boss Arne Slot insisted post-match that Robertson had done nothing to obstruct Donnarumma’s sightline.

Liverpool escalated the matter by contacting PGMOL chief Howard Webb to question the decision-making process and the criteria applied, with Webb later addressing the issue by acknowledging that Donnarumma “saw the ball all the way” but siding with the judgement made by the officials on the pitch.

Now, according to The Times’ Martin Hardy, the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents panel has stated that Virgil van Dijk’s goal for Liverpool against Manchester City should have stood, although VAR was right not to overturn the on-pitch decision to rule out the goal.

The panel, which consists of three former players or coaches, one person from the Premier League and one from the PGMOL, has as such gone against the judgment of referee Chris Kavanagh and his assistant Stuart Burt.

The goal came at a critical point in the match as Liverpool trailed by one goal when Van Dijk’s header hit the net, shortly before Manchester City doubled their lead just before half-time thanks to a deflected Nico Gonzalez strike from distance.

A potential equaliser might have altered momentum, but instead City capitalised and went into the break 2-0 ahead and later cruised to a 3-0 victory, condemning Liverpool to a fifth league defeat of the season and leaving them eight points off the pace in the title race.

Looking ahead, the ruling is unlikely to change the outcome, but it may intensify scrutiny on referees and VAR heading into the busy winter stretch. For Manchester City, the decision and subsequent ruling may have little direct impact, but the broader debate around officiating consistency will inevitably swirl around future high-stakes fixtures.

With both sides expected to remain in the title conversation within the Premier League, the fallout from this incident could raise the temperature even further when the clubs meet again later in the season at Anfield.