Argentina teammates Alexis Mac Allister and Cristian Romero engaged in an online dispute following the contentious Premier League match between Tottenham and Liverpool.
Tottenham won 2-1, primarily due to a late own goal by Joel Matip, but this result only scratches the surface of the match’s overall narrative.
Liverpool had two players, Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota, sent off on either side of halftime, leaving them with only nine players on the field.
Adding to their frustration, Liverpool had a perfectly legitimate goal disallowed due to a significant VAR mistake, much to the chagrin of Jurgen Klopp and his team.
Luis Diaz thought he’d given 10-man Liverpool the lead in the first half after beating Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario with an excellent finish from an acute angle, but the goal was disallowed following an unusually quick VAR check. It later transpired that “significant human error” was to blame after graphics proved that Diaz was clearly onside when the ball was played.
Over on X (formerly known as Twitter), VAR expert Dale Johnson has since revealed the hapless series of events which culminated in Diaz’s goal being incorrectly disallowed. Arguably the most embarrassing VAR incident for Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) since its introduction into the Premier League during the 2019-20 season, serious questions are now being asked about the current implementation of the divisive technology.
“We will not get points for it, so it doesn’t help,” Klopp told reporters after being told of PGMOL’s statement. “I think what everyone wants is, not everybody expects 100% right decisions on field, but I think we all thought when VAR comes in, it might make things easier.”
Following their first Premier League defeat of the season, Liverpool now find themselves fourth in the table, one point behind Tottenham and Arsenal, and two points behind leaders Manchester City. While we’ll never know what would have happened had Diaz’s goal been allowed to stand, it’s clear that crucial VAR mistake changed the complexion of the match.
What happened between Mac Allister and Romero?
After the game, Tottenham defender Romero posted a series of images onInstagram, alongside the caption: “This team has great spirit, great heart. always like this, all together.” His fellow World Cup winner, Mac Allister, didn’t hold back in the comments.
Liverpool’s No. 10, who joined the Reds from Brighton in a deal worth an initial £35 million in June, responded: “Normal when you have 12 players.” Ouch. Romero then responded: “Cry at home”.
The comments have seemingly been removed, but screenshots have been shared on various social media platforms, including Twitter and Reddit. This situation could potentially lead to an awkward encounter the next time Mac Allister and Romero meet up for international duty with Argentina, as they are scheduled to face Paraguay and Peru in World Cup qualifiers later this month.
Mac Allister and his Liverpool teammates are set to play against Union Saint-Gilloise in the Europa League and Brighton in the Premier League before the upcoming international break. Meanwhile, Spurs will travel to face Luton Town next weekend as they aim to maintain their strong start to the current campaign under manager Ange Postecoglou.