Category Uncategorized

Liverpool have got their explanation as to why Virgil van Dijk's goal against Manchester City was disallowed, with Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) chief Howard Webb confirming the VAR decision was correct. The club had formally lodged a complaint to PGMOL after the Dutch defender's goal was chalked off during their 3-0 defeat to Pep Guardiola's men.

• Controversial offside call at Etihad Stadium

  With City leading 1-0, Van Dijk’s thumping header appeared to have levelled the score, but referee Chris Kavanagh disallowed the goal for offside after the assistant's flag went up. It was a ruling which was confirmed moments later by VAR Michael Oliver. The decision hinged on whether Andy Robertson, who was standing near the six-yard box, had obstructed Gianluigi Donnarumma’s ability to react. While Robertson never touched the ball, the officials deemed his movement to duck under Van Dijk’s header as an "obvious action" that interfered with play. According to Law 11, an offside player can only be punished if their action "prevents an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball" by either blocking vision or directly impacting the opponent’s ability to make a move. Liverpool believe neither of these conditions applied.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  What did Webb say?

  While speaking on the show, Webb acknowledged the controversy but remained adamant that the decision was not unreasonable given the evidence.

  "Interfering with an opponent where the offside position player doesn't play the ball and the officials have to make a judgment whether the actions of that player impact an opponent, are some of the most subjective decisions that we have to make," said Webb.

  "Therefore, it's no surprise that some people believe this goal should have stood, so I think it's important that we look at the facts of what actually happened in this situation. We know the corner comes in and the ball reaches Van Dijk. As the ball's coming across the penalty area, the Manchester City players move out, they leave Robertson in that offside position in the heart of the six-yard box.

  "When Van Dijk heads the ball forward, that's the moment when we have to make an offside judgment about Robertson and about what he's doing there. We know he doesn't touch the ball but what does he do? Well, as the ball moves towards him, three yards out from goal, right in the middle of the six-yard box, he makes that clear action to duck below the ball. The ball goes just over his head, and the ball finds the goal in the half of the six-yard box where he is. Then, the officials have to make a judgment – did that clear action impact on Donnarumma, the goalkeeper, and his ability to save the ball? And that's where the subjectivity comes into play.

  "Obviously that's the conclusion they drew on that. They looked at that position, they looked at that action, so close to the goalkeeper, and they formed that opinion. I know that's not a view held by everybody, but I think it's not unreasonable to understand why they would form that conclusion. The player is so close to the goalkeeper, the ball's coming right towards him and he has to duck to get out of the way of the ball – and they form the conclusion that that impacts Donnarumma's ability just to dive towards the ball and make that save. And then, of course, once they've made that on-field decision, the job of the VAR is to look at that and decide, was the outcome of offside clearly and obviously wrong?

  "Only Donnarumma truly knows if he was impacted by this and, of course, we have to look at the factual evidence, and when we see that factual evidence of that position of the player ducking below the ball, so close to the goalkeeper, the VAR determines that the outcome of offside is not clearly and obviously wrong, and they stay out of it."

• Line of vision and beyond

  Webb claimed that VAR officials must weigh several other factors, other than the line of vision, before intervening. 

  He said: "You do hear the assistant [on the VAR audio], in this case, talk about line of vision. I agree with you, the line of vision normally would relate to the view being blocked of the ball. On that one, he does see the ball all the way, but the assistant also talks about other things, ducking below the ball, being close to the goalkeeper.

  "Those in themselves can be enough to penalise a player for offside, [by] interfering with an opponent. Even if the keeper can see the ball coming all the way along, he's still in front of the goalkeeper, he still makes that ducking action that could still cause hesitation from the goalkeeper. Goalkeepers work on reactions that make it possible to pull out some incredible saves and that's the judgment formed on the field. So, [apart from] the line of vision, there's other aspects that can also say that this is an offside offence, and that's why the VAR left it alone."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  Slot draws comparison to City's own controversy

  Liverpool boss Arne Slot referenced a strikingly similar situation from last season, when Bernardo Silva appeared offside in the build-up to a Manchester City goal against Wolves; a strike that was ultimately allowed to stand after a VAR review. Webb, however, argued that the two incidents were "fundamentally different."

  "I think there's a clear difference here in that the ball goes directly over the goalkeeper Jose Sa's head," Webb explained. "It doesn't go over Bernardo Silva. Bernardo Silva is an offside position when John Stones heads the ball forward. Importantly, he moved to the left, away from the flight of the ball, and the ball goes straight over Sa, it doesn't go over the head of Bernardo Silva in the way that it went over the head of Robertson, who ducked below it.

  "So, I think it's difficult here to see this and think in any way that Jose Sa is impacted by an action of Bernardo Silva. If the ball had gone over Bernardo Silva's head, maybe causing Jose Sa to hesitate in case it hits Bernardo Silva, then we'd come out with the same outcome of check complete on the on-field decision of disallowed goal."

  While Liverpool’s frustration simmered, City made the most of their good fortune. With momentum on their side, Guardiola’s men tightened their grip after the interval, with Jeremy Doku scoring the third to see out the match and maintain their unbeaten record at the Etihad. They climbed to the second spot after the victory, cutting down the gap at the summit with Arsenal to just four points.

Colin Ingram, Ben Kellaway make centuries to push Glamorgan into first-innings lead

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay01-Jul-2025 Gloucestershire 380 and 12 for 0 trail Glamorgan 528 (Kellaway 139, Ingram 117) by 136 runsBen Kellaway and Colin Ingram both made centuries as Glamorgan pushed into a first-innings lead to set up the prospect of a draw against Gloucestershire.Glamorgan’s middle-order pair put on 254 for the fifth wicket (147 added from overnight) out of a total of 528, as Gloucestershire’s bowlers were subjected to a mammoth 151.1 overs on a day in which just six wickets fell.Kellaway’s 139 was the 21-year-old’s second century of an eye-catching season for his home county while South African veteran Ingram racked up his 16th first-class century for Glamorgan.Glamorgan started the day with their partnership of experience and youth already established, having recovered from 121 for 4 on day two, and the Glamorgan balcony watched on as Gloucestershire’s bowlers endured all but 11 overs of the day’s play.An early itchiness to get going from Kellaway seemed evident, proactively using his feet against the early spin to start the day despite still trailing by 152.The pair settled into their work, having come through a wicketless evening session on day two, and carried that stand through to lunch as well, demolishing the new ball in the process – they took 32 from the first five overs from Ajeet Singh Dale and Zaman Akhter.Kellaway, and shortly afterwards, Ingram didn’t have to wait long for their milestones. On 99, Kellaway cover-drove his fellow youngster Archie Bailey to the fence, then kept the momentum up, taking three boundaries in the same over, as the partnership passed 200.At 365 for 4 at lunch, and with 10 overs still available to chase bonus points, Gloucestershire opted for a negative ploy: Graeme van Buuren bowling left-arm-over outside leg stump while the pacers banged in short balls from round-the-wicket.Negative it may have been deemed but successful it was. Both the partnership contributors fell to short balls, Ingram upper-cutting to deep-third, Kellaway pulling to square-leg in the 110th over. Just 23 runs were scored in the first hour of the afternoon as the hosts missed a potentially key fourth batting point while the visitors picked up a second bowling point.Chris Cooke and Timm van der Gugten remained cautious in a turgid session despite adding useful cameos. Cooke initially struggled to settle but opened up with reverse-sweeps coming to the fore in his partnerships with the tail, before Todd Murphy wrapped up the innings for his sole wicket.Walking out with 11 overs remaining and 148 behind, Gloucestershire made it to the close unscathed despite two direct run-out attempts that flew just wide of the stumps.

Arsenal defenders William Saliba and Gabriel are poised to stay at the Emirates Stadium after they both committed their futures, with Mikel Arteta gifted a huge boost by their ongoing presence in the Gunners backline.

William Saliba agrees new Arsenal deal after Gabriel

Gabriel put pen to paper on an extension all the way back in June, which will keep him at the club until 2029, and it was one of Andrea Berta’s first major contract announcements after he replaced Edu in March.

Now, after months of uncertainty, talks and a rejected first proposal, his central defensive partner Saliba has also agreed to pen a new deal.

Real Madrid were lingering in the background with the Frenchman’s previous contract due to expire in 2027, but Arteta was handed some very good news this week when news broke of Saliba’s decision to stay.

The 24-year-old is set to sign an extension until 2030, with journalist Dean Jones reporting that it could make Saliba the club’s highest earner on around £300,000-per-week.

It is a serious statement of intent from Berta, who has sent a clear message to the rest of Europe that Arsenal will no longer be bullied into selling their best players.

Since the very start of 2022/2023, Saliba and Gabriel have established themselves as one of the best centre-back partnerships in world football, and keeping both of them comes as an absolutely massive boost for Arsenal.

Now, as per reliable club insider ‘HandOfArsenal’ on X, the pair actually had a secret pact all along, and Berta is lining up another statement move immediately after securing Saliba.

Saliba and Gabriel's secret Arsenal pact as Berta lines up Saka deal

It is believed that the centre-backs agreed to stay at Arsenal and win trophies for many years, with the pact happening as far back as the summer. Meanwhile, Berta is swiftly set to commence work on agreeing a new deal with star winger Bukayo Saka.

With Saliba and Gabriel’s intentions crystal clear, it is believed that Arsenal won’t run into too much trouble with regard to Saka either.

According to journalist Ben Jacobs and GiveMeSport, Saka has made it clear he wants to sign an extension with Arsenal, so it is up to Berta to negotiate the required terms and keep their £195,000-per-week star.

Noni Madueke’s knee injury means that Arteta will need to call upon Saka much more regularly than he’d like, considering the England international is only just back from injury himself, but his importance to Arsenal cannot be understated.

كشف محمد أيمن، المشرف العام على الكرة بنادي بتروجيت، تطورات مفاوضات الزمالك مع حامد حمدان، كاشفًا في الوقت ذاته موقف اللاعب من الأهلي.

وقال أيمن في تصريحات مع كريم رمزي لبرنامج “لعبة والتانية” على راديو “ميجا إف إم”: “التعادل مع الأهلي بالأمس، بداية الانطلاقة الحقيقية لبتروجيت هذا الموسم، بعد تذبذب نتائج الفريق منذ انطلاق الدوري”.

وأضاف: “نظام الدوري الموسم الحالي سبب ابتعاد بتروجيت عن مستواه، كنا الأقرب إلى الفوز في مواجهة الأهلي لولا إهدار الفرص، ولكن بشكل عام التعادل مرضٍ بالنسبة لنا”.

طالع.. حامد حمدان: بتروجيت لم يكن يريد التعادل مع الأهلي

وتابع: “هناك اتفاق مبدئي مع الزمالك لضم حامد حمدان، مدافع الفريق، في فترة الانتقالات الشتوية المقبلة، والظروف المالية التي يمر بها الزمالك ستجعلنا نغير آلية تنفيذ التعاقد المادي لرحيل حامد حمدان”.

وأردف أن الزمالك كان قد اتفق في وقت سابق على إبرام عقد ثلاثي مع النادي لضم حامد حمدان، مدافع الفريق، ولكنه غير موقع من أي طرف حتى هذه اللحظة.

وأضاف: “رغبة حامد حمدان ستحسم وجهته إلى ناديه الجديد، واللاعب سيرحل في يناير وليس لدينا أي أزمة في بيع اللاعب خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية المقبلة”.

وتابع: “لا توجد خطوة إيجابية من الزمالك لضم حمدان حاليًا، وأول عرض رسمي لضم اللاعب جاء قبل غلق باب القيد في أغسطس بيومين فقط”.

وعن احتمالية انتقاله للأهلي، اختتم: “حامد حمدان سينتقل للأهلي في حالتين فقط، الأولى اختيار اللاعب اللعب للنادي الأهلي، والثانية عدم التزام الزمالك بالشروط المالية التي وضعها نادي بتروجيت”.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras viveu um dia sem muitas novidades, ainda vivendo a ressaca de mais um fracasso na busca por reforços. Tanto é que uma das notícias deste sábado (29) é a entrega da lista de inscritos para a Libertadores, mas sem adição de novos jogadores. Enquanto isso, um grupo de conselheiros cobrou transparência de Leila Pereira em relação ao patrocínio. Por fim, a tendência é que Abel Ferreira utilize força máxima diante do América-MG, neste domingo (30), pelo Brasileirão. Confira as notícias!

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasAmérica-MG x Palmeiras: onde assistir, horário e escalações do jogo pelo BrasileirãoPalmeiras29/07/2023PalmeirasDudu volta a treinar no campo, mas deve seguir como desfalque no PalmeirasPalmeiras29/07/2023PalmeirasConselheiros do Palmeiras pressionam Leila por possível conflito de interesse na renovação de patrocínioPalmeiras29/07/2023

+ Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00. Bebida gelada nos 90′ de jogo do Verdão!

FORÇA MÁXIMA NO BRASILEIRÃO

Mesmo com a proximidade do duelo com o Atlético-MG, pelas oitavas da Libertadores, Abel Ferreira deve escalar o Palmeiras com força máxima para enfrentar o América-MG, no Independência, neste domingo (30), pelo Brasileirão. A única ausência mesmo deve ficar por conta de Dudu, que se recupera de dores na panturrilha direita. (Clique e leia a matéria completa)

LISTA DA LIBERTADORES SEM REFORÇOS

O Palmeiras entregou neste sábado (29) a lista de inscritos para as oitavas de final da Libertadores. O clube enviou os nomes para a Conmebol dentro do prazo estabelecido pela entidade, que é de 72 horas antes do início da fase (1º de agosto). Mesmo sem os esperados reforços, o Verdão precisou fazer mudanças nos 50 jogadores que foram inicialmente registrados para a fase de grupos da competição. (Clique e leia a matéria completa)

continua após a publicidade

GRUPO DE CONSELHEIROS COBRA LEILA

Na quinta-feira (27), 27 conselheiros do Verdão protocolaram um documento exigindo maior transparência aos contratos da Crefisa em virtude do conflito de interesses estabelecido no clube que possui presidente e patrocinadora na mesma pessoa, além de cobrar para que o processo de escolha ou de renovação do patrocínio seja conduzido de maneira democrática e com maior participação do Conselho. (Clique e leia a matéria completa)

After launching a late move to sign Marco Asensio, Aston Villa have reportedly agreed personal terms with another Ligue 1 star in a late transfer flurry for Unai Emery.

Aston Villa open talks to sign Asensio

They’ve left things late, but Aston Villa are finally moving in the summer transfer window. With a matter of days left until the window slams shut, the Villans have opened talks to sign Asensio from Paris Saint-Germain. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Midlands club are pushing to secure a permanent deal following the Spaniard’s successful loan spell in the second-half of last season.

By the time that his loan spell came to an end last season, Asensio had become a fan favourite and scored eight goals in 21 games in all competitions. As such, he was always likely to be a summer target for all involved at Villa Park who made the mistake of falling in love with a loan player.

Alongside Evann Guessand, the former Real Madrid gem would add some much-needed depth to Emery’s attack as deadline day approaches. There’s no denying that his arrival is one that Villa need, having drawn their opening game against Newcastle United 0-0 and then failing to score again in a 1-0 defeat against Brentford.

Aston Villa closing in on "special" £13m former wonderkid; Monchi "confident"

The Villans are closing in on their man…

ByTom Cunningham Aug 29, 2025

After Asensio, they may not be done there, however. Rumours are continuing to emerge that Aston Villa are still targeting further reinforcements as they look to save what has otherwise been a summer to forget. And that has reportedly seen them turn towards another Ligue 1 star alongside Asensio.

Aston Villa agree personal terms with Mikautadze

As reported by French journalist Marc Mechenoua, Aston Villa have now agreed personal terms with Georges Mikautadze and are now in club-to-club negotiations with Lyon after submitting a €25m (£22m) offer. As talks continue, the Midlands club will be desperately hoping to reach a full agreement before Monday’s deadline.

If they can secure a deal worth £22m, meanwhile, then they’d be getting an absolute bargain. When compared to Ollie Watkins last season, Mikautadze more than kept pace – scoring 17 goals and assisting another 11, whilst the Englishman netted 17 himself and created 14 in all competitions.

Described as “electric” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Mikautadze is ready to take the Premier League by storm and potentially form an impressive partnership with Watkins. Welcoming both the Lyon man and Asensio before Monday’s deadline would be a true statement of intent from Aston Villa.

N'Golo Kante went viral after he appeared to snub Cristiano Ronaldo for a handshake before the start of the Saudi Pro League clash between Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr last week. Sadio Mane and Ronaldo were on target for Jorge Jesus' side, as they maintained their 100 per cent win record in the Pro League and extended their lead to three points at the top of the table.

Did Kante snub Ronaldo for a handshake?

In a video that went viral, Ronaldo was seen greeting the players from his rival team ahead of the Saudi Pro League clash between Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad. Ronaldo gave a warm hug to ex-Real Madrid team-mate Karim Benzema and then greeted former Liverpool midfielder Fabinho with a handshake. It was then that the attention shifted to Kante, who walked past the Portugal legend without even acknowledging his presence. 

AdvertisementWatch the clipGetty Images SportMane rolled back the years with stunning show

Former Reds star Sadio Mane stole the limelight with an incredible performance as he guided his team to a comfortable 2-0 win over reigning champions Al-Ittihad and helped the club extend their lead to three points at the top of the table. Ronaldo too got his name on the scoresheet as Jorge Jesus' side maintained their 100 per cent win record in the Saudi Pro League after four matches. 

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportAl-Ittihad in search of new head coach

A day after going down against Ronaldo's side, Al-Ittihad parted ways with Manchester United legend Laurent Blanc and are now in search of a new head coach. They have placed several candidates on their shortlist, including former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.

Tottenham Hotspur are now willing to outbid their Premier League rivals to secure the signature of a “pure baller”, as they are determined to win the race.

Spurs looking at Eze alternatives after transfer blow

Eberechi Eze’s move to Arsenal has sparked a furious reaction among the Tottenham fanbase, with many suggesting that Daniel Levy is at fault, although Simon Jordan believes the chairman may not be to blame for the disappointing outcome.

Regardless, Spurs will now be forced to move on to alternative targets, and an offer was submitted for Como’s Nico Paz, which was knocked back, with Fabrizio Romano revealing Real Madrid stepped in to stop a deal going through.

With Spurs’ move for Paz proving unsuccessful, their list of targets has been narrowed down even further, and a report from Spain has now revealed they are determined to win the race for a different attacking midfielder…

Indeed, Tottenham are now prepared to outbid Crystal Palace in order to get a deal for Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss over the line, with the north Londoners intent on stopping the Moroccan signing for their Premier League rivals.

Spurs have ‘made it clear’ they won’t let the Eagles win the race for the attacking midfielder, who could command a fee of £32m, with Levy clearly unwilling to miss out on another key target to a fellow Premier League side.

El Khannouss would be risky signing for Spurs

The Leicester star is clearly thought of very highly by scout Ben Mattinson, who has hailed him as a “pure baller”, but Spurs are playing a risky game by going all out to win the race for the 21-year-old.

Unlike previous targets, such as Gibbs-White and Eze, the youngster is yet to prove himself at the top level, and hasn’t exactly set the world alight in terms of attacking contributions per 90 over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Goals

0.08 (5th percentile)

Assists

0.12 (23rd percentile)

Shots Total

1.24 (6th percentile)

That said, with Paz no longer an option, the number of options on Spurs’ shortlist is dwindling, and the Belgium-born midfielder could flourish in a better side, having been part of a Leicester team that were relegated without putting up much of a fight last season.

As such, while it would be a gamble for Tottenham to sign El Khannouss, there are no longer many better options available, with a deal for Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers deemed unlikely.

The appointment is understood to be a prelude to a role with the franchise at the PSL

Danyal Rasool01-Nov-2024Darren Gough has been appointed head coach of Lahore Qalandars. His first assignment with the franchise will be the Global Super League (GSL) in Guyana, which starts on November 26.The appointment is understood to be a prelude to a more permanent role in Qalandars’ stock competition: the PSL. Aaqib Javed, who served as head coach and director of cricket operations for Qalandars for eight years, quit last month to focus on a new role at the PCB with Pakistan cricket: he is now a member of the selection committee for the Pakistan men’s national team.Qalandars won back-to-back PSL titles in 2022 and 2023 before stumbling this year, finishing bottom. Aaqib’s departure left a vacancy at the franchise, one they wish to ensure is filled well before the PSL begins in April next year. Gough, who retired in 2006 as England’s leading ODI wicket-taker (and is still No. 2 on the list behind James Anderson) is understood to be keen on the role, with the GSL seen as a useful opportunity to allow him to get his feet under the table before a permanent decision is made.”It’s an absolute honour to have been asked by the Lahore Qalandars to be the head coach for the upcoming Global Super League in Guyana,” Gough said in a statement. “I’m really excited about this opportunity because I’ve been fortunate to work with the Qalandars in Lahore on several occasions, assisting with their PDP [player development programme].”We know that Lahore Qalandars are all about giving young players opportunities they’ve never had before -developing their skills and shaping them into players who can go on to represent the Qalandars, and hopefully make Pakistan cricket proud.”Gough most recently served as managing director at his old club, Yorkshire, after being appointed in December 2021 following the racism allegations that rocked the club. He parted ways with Yorkshire in March this year. Before that, he had a stint as England’s bowling consultant in 2020. Not long after Gough joined Yorkshire in 2021, the club launched a partnership with Qalandars aiming to “nurture talent [by] reducing barriers to entry” following the racism crisis.Sameen Rana, co-owner of Qalandars, said Gough’s vision aligned “seamlessly with our commitment to player development”, referring to the appointment as an embarkation on “a new journey”.The GSL will be contested by five teams. Qalandars are joined by Hampshire Hawks from the T20 Blast, Rangpur Riders from the BPL, Victoria from Australia, as well as the hosts, Guyana Amazon Warriors. The final will take place on December 7.

West Ham United have now reached a verbal agreement over a deal to sign a defender, who is set to be available for around £4m this summer, according to journalist Dominik Schneider.

Hammers set out to strengthen defence

West Ham recently secured the signature of Kyle Walker-Peters on a free transfer, but Graham Potter has no plans to stop there, with the manager also keen to bolster his options in the centre of defence.

Speaking to Football Insider, former scout Mick Brown revealed the desire to sign a new centre-back comes amid major doubts over Nayef Aguerd’s future, with Potter looking to sell the Morocco international this summer.

Brown said: “West Ham are aiming to sign a top-class centre-half. Potter wants reliable options in that position because he isn’t happy with what he’s got. It’s something West Ham have been lacking for a while, and it’s going to be a priority before the season starts because the manager is pushing for it.

“Potter isn’t happy with Mavropanos, he’s far too mistake prone and is liable to cost you a game, and he’s looking to move on Nayef Aguerd as well.”

That said, it may be difficult to compete for the signature of an established top-level centre-back, off the back of the Hammers’ very disappointing 2024-25 campaign, and they now look set to take a gamble on a defender from the Swiss league.

West Ham now battling Sunderland to sign "aggressive" Bundesliga winner

The Hammers have had a first-hand look at his quality.

ByTom Cunningham Jul 19, 2025

That is according to Schneider on X, who reveals West Ham have now reached a “verbal agreement” over a deal for Lugano defender Albian Hajdari, and a deal could be on the cheap side.

Hajdari has a €5m (£4.3m) release clause included in his Lugano contract, and while the Hammers are yet to trigger it, the centre-back is “keen to join” this summer, indicating it could be very easy to get a deal over the line.

"Dominant" Hajdari could excel at the London Stadium

While the 22-year-old would not be a big-name signing, there are clear indications that he could be a success at the London Stadium, having performed very well for Lugano over the course of the past year.

The Lugano star’s defensive abilities certainly cannot be called into question, given that he is placed in the top 1% for interceptions per 90, and the top 2% for blocks, when compared to his positional peers.

Not only that, but the one-time Switzerland international has also received high praise from scout Ben Mattinson, who described him as “aerially dominant” and “composed on the ball”, with the latter quality potentially making the Binningen-born defender ideal for Potter.

At just over £4m, Hajdari could be a bargain addition to Potter’s squad, and there are clear signs that he could kick on at the London Stadium.