Liverpool supporters were left furious when Virgil van Dijk’s header against Manchester City was ruled out, prompting former FIFA referee Keith Hackett to accuse the officials of “manipulating the law” to justify their decision.
Hackett, who once led the PGMOL and officiated the 1981 FA Cup final, expressed his frustration in a detailed online post, criticizing the ruling that nullified Liverpool captain Van Dijk’s equalizer at the Etihad Stadium.
The 81-year-old argued that the officials were wrong to claim that Andy Robertson interfered with goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, noting that Robertson was clearly positioned to the goalkeeper’s left.
“A blatant manipulation of the law to support an erroneous decision,” Hackett wrote. “Robertson did not interfere with his opponent.”
He also took aim at the actions of Howard Webb, Michael Oliver, and Chris Kavanagh, likening PGMOL’s post-match explanation show, hosted by Michael Owen, to a comedic sketch. Hackett added: “Manipulate the law to align with the decision… Gallagher and Foy would not have disallowed it. Neither would I or Halsey.”
Hackett’s comments strongly support Liverpool’s position regarding the disallowed Van Dijk goal, which came while the Reds were trailing 1–0 just before halftime. The ruling could have shifted the momentum in a match that eventually ended in a 3–0 defeat, marking Liverpool’s fifth league loss of the season under Arne Slot. The team did not register another shot on target until the 76th minute.
The former referee’s statements coincide with Liverpool’s official complaint to PGMOL, in which club representatives contacted Howard Webb to raise “serious concerns” about the officiating. This preceded the release of VAR audio, which indicated that officials concluded within seconds that Robertson had obstructed Donnarumma’s view.
The controversy highlights ongoing concerns over refereeing consistency, particularly following incidents such as Bernardo Silva’s offside involvement against Wolves last season, which went unpunished. Hackett agreed with these concerns, stating, “Your analysis is absolutely correct.”
For Liverpool, this represents another frustrating moment in a season plagued by crucial decisions going against the Reds, with former officials now publicly backing the club’s grievances
