Wirtz was offside but VAR still allowed Fulham goal to stand – BBC

Liverpool’s latest Premier League draw has been dissected from every angle, but one moment in particular continues to dominate discussion long after the final whistle.

Florian Wirtz’s equaliser at Craven Cottage appeared marginal in real time, triggered a lengthy VAR check, and was eventually allowed to stand despite some suggesting the German was just offside.

BBC Sport football issues correspondent Dale Johnson has now explained why the goal stood, even though the Bayer Leverkusen arrival technically strayed beyond the defensive line.

“Wirtz looked offside,” Johnson wrote for BBC Sport. “And he was – just. So why was his goal allowed to stand after a VAR review?”

The explanation centres on the Premier League’s continued use of an offside tolerance level, even with semi-automated offside technology now in place.

Wirtz goal explained as BBC outline VAR tolerance

According to the BBC, the Premier League still applies a margin of error designed to account for imperfections in technology, including identifying the precise moment a pass is played.

That tolerance means a player can be fractionally offside on the image, but still be deemed onside once leeway is applied.

Johnson noted that when similar rules were introduced in 2021/22, referees estimated it could result in “an additional 20 goals a season.”

This context matters because Wirtz’s goal came during our strongest spell of the game, sparked by Conor Bradley’s direct run through Fulham’s midfield.

The 22-year-old German finished clinically, and the data backs up his influence despite playing only 76 minutes.

That contribution aligns with recent performances, with Wirtz now recording two goals and an assist across his last four starts.

What Slot said about Wirtz role and Liverpool approach

After the match, Arne Slot was keen to frame the bigger picture rather than fixate on VAR.

“I would love to create more,” our head coach said, “but if we play with the amount of midfielders we play with and one attacker against a 5-4-1 of Fulham in an away game, I don’t know if you can expect chance after chance.”

The Dutchman also stressed that his principles remain intact, even if personnel and circumstances force compromise.

“My philosophy of football hasn’t changed,” the 47-year-old added. “But we have to do it with the players that are available.”

That availability point also extended to fitness, with Wirtz again managed carefully after recent scans, a situation the Liverpool boss also addressed when discussing both the German and Hugo Ekitike’s workloads after the game at Craven Cottage.

Curtis Jones, meanwhile, summed up the frustration of surrendering points late, admitting the ending was “hard to take” after we had shown more heart in the second half.

For Fulham supporters, BBC’s explanation may still grate, but for Liverpool, the bigger concern remains turning control into consistency as tougher tests await.

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