Everton dealt Liverpool’s title hopes a potentially fatal blow as they won a Merseyside derby at home for the first time since 2010, with goals from Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin earning the Toffees a huge three points that sees them move eight clear of the bottom three.
However, according to ESPN, Branthwaite’s opener may have been chalked off if semi-automated offside technology was being used. That technology will be in place next after clubs unanimously agreed to its introduction at a Premier League shareholders’ meeting earlier this month. The system was used during the 2022 World Cup and aims to not only speed up the decision-making process, but also be more accurate.
In a statement, the league explained: “The technology will provide quicker and consistent placement of the virtual offside line, based on optical player tracking.”
And while Branthwaite’s goal was allowed to stand after a lengthy VAR check, it was claimed that this was down to the fact that he was ‘within the tolerance level of the current offside technology’. Replays used by the VAR team to make their decision only showed a single line rather than the usual two due to the fact the offside call was so tight. The new technology will not have a tolerance level and the goal may well have been disallowed by the semi-automated system.
Despite how close the offside decision was, Liverpool’s defending in the build-up to the goal came in for criticism with both Wayne Rooney and Jamie Carragher not happy.
“We have seen this five or six times that Everton have won the first contact in the penalty area,” Rooney said on Sky Sports.
“Liverpool would have known this. This is one of Everton’s biggest threats and this goal, the way Liverpool defend this is schoolboy really. Everton have put them under pressure and have come in at half time with a deserved lead.”
Carragher then added: “Awful. How many times have Liverpool given free-kicks away? That is the name of the game for Everton. They have been fantastic, especially with set-pieces and have looked like scoring every single one.
“But the amount of fouls Liverpool gave away in their own half. Konate here, what is he doing? He doesn’t know where he is and just sticks a leg out at it. Everton definitely deserved to go in front and get a goal from a set-piece because they could have been down before that.”
