PGMOL Release VAR Transcript for Man City’s Disallowed Goal vs Liverpool

The PGMOL have released the audio and full transcript of the conversation between officials in the build-up to the controversial decision to disallow Manchester City’s goal against Liverpool.

In the Premier League fixture at the start of February, Arne Slot’s side had taken the lead through Dominik Szoboszlai’s fantastic free-kick, but City hit back through late goals from Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland.

However, a contentious decision was made in the dying embers of the game. Haaland had broken through on goal with nobody to beat, thanks to Alisson heading up the pitch to help Liverpool find a late leveller. But the Norwegian jostled with Szoboszlai to reach Rayan Cherki’s through ball, leading to both players falling to the turf.

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Gary Neville was baffled, saying: “There’s no football person who would disallow that goal.”

The ball eventually travelled over the goal line, leading to wild celebrations in the away end. But referee Craig Pawson then elected to disallow the goal and show Szoboszlai a red card, as his foul on Haaland had led to the denial of a goalscoring opportunity (DOGSO).

PGMOL Release Audio of Disallowed Goal From Liverpool 1-2 Man City

The aftermath gave way to criticism, as Pep Guardiola criticised the PGMOL for choosing to rule out the goal. But audio of the incident has since been released to give a detailed breakdown of why the strike was chalked off.

Check Out the Full Transcript Below:

VAR: “Possible offside.”

Assistant VAR: “DOGSO.”

VAR: “The first one.”

Pawson: “For me, the on-field decision is goal.”

VAR: “Goal anyway, but we have a defensive free kick. We have a clear defensive free kick.”

Assistant VAR: “Just wait because there’s a second foul afterwards.”

VAR: “I know. Wait for the on-field decision… Paws (Craig Pawson), just confirm the on-field decision.”

Assistant Referee 1: “Paws, confirm the on-field decision for John (John Brooks – VAR).”

Pawson: “The on-field decision is goal. There’s an initial foul on Erling Haaland.”

VAR: “Ok, checking the on-field decision of goal. Roll it through please.”

Pawson: “I play advantage. If not, I’m sending off.”

VAR: “Frame two… Clearly in his own half. Roll it through. And then we have a clear foul on Erling Haaland and then a clear foul on the defender. So we can’t allow this goal because there’s a foul… “

Assistant VAR: “You can’t ignore them both.”

VAR: “No, listen. So we have a clear foul on the defender, so we can’t ignore it. However, there’s a clear free kick just before and a DOGSO. Because that’s why Erling Haaland doesn’t get on the end of the ball.”

Assistant VAR: “Yes, I agree.”

VAR: “So it’s on-field review. Cancel the goal and recommend a review for a DOGSO by Szoboszlai.”

Assistant VAR: “Absolutely agree.”

VAR: “Paws, we are going to be recommending an on-field review for disallowing the Manchester City goal and awarding them a free kick and a denial of a goal-scoring opportunity. I’ll explain it when you get to the screen… Roll it through and I want to show him the foul on Szoboszlai first.”

Pawson: “So, there’s a free kick, the initial one, and then you’re saying there’s another one after?”

VAR: “So there’s a clear foul here on Erling Haaland, which means he cannot get to the ball, ok?”

Pawson: “Yeah. That’s the pull back. That’s the one I played advantage on, yeah.”

VAR: “But then we cannot play advantage and ignore this because there is a clear holding offence on the defender, there.”

Pawson: “Ah, I didn’t see that.”

VAR: “So, we have to disallow the goal for the holding on the defender, award Manchester City a free kick and give a red card for a DOGSO by Szoboszlai… Are you ok with that with announcement?”

Pawson: “The restart is going to be a direct free kick [to Man City] and a red card for Dominik Szoboszlai.”

VAR: “Because that offence occurs first, correct. It’s Liverpool number eight. Liverpool number eight.”

Howard Webb Explains Thought Process Behind the Decision

With the audio airing on the Premier League’s Match Officials Mic’d Up show, Michael Owen then asked Howard Webb why Pawson could not simply allow the goal to stand and ignore both fouls. But the PGMOL chief said that the referee could not ignore Haaland’s foul on Szoboszlai in the build up.

He said: “To referee at Premier League level, you need a feel for the game and an understanding, and we try to apply common sense where possible, but there’s a limit to that.

“The referee tried to play an advantage when Szoboszlai initially pulls Haaland and he waits to see what happens and if the ball goes straight to the goal — that’s a good advantage, and we give the goal. But the ball only goes into the goal because Haaland clearly commits an offence on Szoboszlai.

“We can’t ignore that; we can’t, therefore, just allow the advantage because it’s only accrued because of that action by Haaland, so we have to go right back to the initial offence, which is the one by Szoboszlai pulling Haaland. It’s outside the penalty area, it denies an obvious goalscoring opportunity, so a free-kick is given and Szoboszlai is sent off.

“He was appealing for this foul by Haaland. He was right to appeal because it was a foul, but unfortunately for him, he’s committed an initial offence that has to be penalised, and we end up in what is clearly the right place through the use of VAR.”