A clear VAR error allowed Southampton’s goal to stand at Anfield when it shouldn’t have.

Liverpool looked sluggish in the first half against Southampton, and conceding to the relegation strugglers highlighted a poor opening 45 minutes.

While the goal appeared to be the spark that finally woke the team up, replays suggest it may not have been legitimate. Mateus Fernandes capitalized on a miscommunication between Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk, getting a touch on the ball before the goalkeeper. This allowed Will Smallbone to collect it and slot it through Alisson’s legs into the net.

However, upon review, Fernandes’ touch seemed to push the ball forward to Smallbone, who was in an offside position when he scored. Given this, Southampton’s goal perhaps shouldn’t have stood.

Arne Slot had strong words for his players at halftime, with the goal serving as a wake-up call. Looking back, had Liverpool not gone on to win, this incident would have been far more frustrating.

Fortunately, a second-half turnaround saw the Reds reclaim control, and thanks to Mo Salah—who, as Paul Merson humorously noted, scored his “800th goal of the season”—Liverpool secured all three points.

Had the goal not been conceded, Liverpool’s performance might not have been so drastically different between halves. Regardless, it feels like a significant VAR oversight not to have caught this mistake.