Arne Slot (48) was furious at the decision. But there are too many problems to explain Liverpool's defeat by the refereeing alone.
BBC in the U.K. on the 4th (KST) highlighted Slot's reaction after the Manchester United-Liverpool match and Liverpool's reality.
Liverpool lost 2-3 to Man U at Old Trafford. It was their 11th league defeat of the season. The number does not fit the status of last season's champion.
The controversial moment came in the 14th minute of the first half. Manchester United's Benjamin Sesko scored an additional goal to make it 2-0. During the process a handball possibility was raised and a video review was conducted. The referee allowed the goal, and the video review team did not overturn it.
According to the BBC, Slot could not hide his anger at the postgame news conference. He questioned the decision, saying "I think the ball touched the hand. If the ball's trajectory changed, that means there was contact." He raised his voice, adding, "It is not surprising that video review this season has gone against Liverpool. The same thing keeps happening."
He even mentioned the past Paris Saint-Germain case. The claim is that Alexis Mac Allister was contacted but a penalty was canceled, and the next week PSG was awarded a penalty for a similar incident.
But Slot did not attribute the defeat to a single decision. He said, "The second goal was not conceded because of a handball. It came because we lost the ball in a foolish position," and said, "We should look at ourselves first." He went on to point out, "There is a pattern that has been repeating all season. We keep conceding ridiculous goals."
BBC commentator Alan Shearer also said of the incident, "I see it as a handball. I would not like to see such a goal canceled, but if you apply the rule it should have been overturned."
Liverpool fans chanted "champions" from the away section. It was a slogan evoking last season's title. It was also mocking Man U. In fact, last season Man U finished 15th, 42 points behind Liverpool.
This season the mood is different. Man U has bounced back under manager Erik ten Hag, and Liverpool have collapsed. Man U completed a league double over Liverpool for the first time since the 2015-2016 season.
The numbers show Liverpool's reality. Liverpool have lost 18 matches in all competitions this season. It is their most defeats since the 2009-2010 season when they lost 19. Since 1962 Liverpool have had 18 or more losses in a season only three times.
The content is not much different. Liverpool are 6 points ahead of sixth-place Bournemouth, so Champions League qualification is still possible. That is worth credit. But looking at their weekly performances they look like a team waiting for the season to end.
Injuries were also significant. Alexander Isak, signed for the club's highest transfer fee, did not travel to Old Trafford. The goalkeeping situation was also shaken. Third-choice Freddy Woodman and fourth-choice Armin Fejzic were even included in the squad.
Mohamed Salah also missed the match due to injury. He watched the game from the stands. The void left by the player who has scored the most Premier League goals against Manchester United was huge.
Of course, even with absentees Liverpool's first-half performance left little room for excuse. They had a week to prepare, but were listless from the start. They also conceded first. Man U faltered several times and gave Liverpool chances, and Liverpool came back from 0-2 to 2-2. Even so, they made another mistake at the end.
The winning goal by Kobbie Mainoo in the 32nd minute of the second half was like that. Mac Allister should have cleared the ball properly earlier. Liverpool provided the pretext for their own collapse.
Slot said, "I won't say I'm worried. But I know we need three points. That's why I'm very angry we did not get points today." He added, "If we had come back from 0-2 to 2-2 we should have at least taken a draw."
Slot recently called the summer transfer window "the start of a new cycle." He said they must make a fresh start at least with Champions League qualification secured. But even if they reach the Champions League, the reality that Liverpool need change does not change.
The debate over the video review incident is also expected to continue. The BBC described the decision as "one that could have gone either way." Determining whether the ball touched the hand just before the goal is a difficult task even for the video review team. Depending on camera angle and depth, actual contact can appear differently.
In this case video assistant Stuart Attwell judged there was not clear evidence to cancel the goal. He may have thought there was a possibility the ball touched the hand, but he was not confident enough to overturn the on-field decision.
Referee Darren England also explained it to the captains of both teams before play resumed.
From Liverpool's perspective it can feel unfair. Slot's anger is understandable to some extent. But the controversy over the decision does not fully cover Liverpool's decline. Liverpool faltered first again, and after coming back they could not hold on. Problems that have repeated all season reappeared at Old Trafford.
[OSEN]