That match at Craven Cottage was wild—not just for the scoreline, but for the controversy that wrapped around it like fog. The non-penalty decision in the fifth minute could easily have rewritten the narrative. Both Kelleher’s rush on Pereira and Van Dijk’s bulldozing challenge on Muniz looked clumsy at best, reckless at worst.
What’s fueling the fire is that it’s not an isolated case for Van Dijk. Fans are connecting dots, and when you’ve got analysts, former refs like Hackett, and pundits like Carragher all calling it out, it’s hard to argue it’s just coincidence. That “serial offender” label might stick if the trend continues.
And while Mac Allister’s goal was a stunner, the collapse that followed from Liverpool makes the penalty controversy even more painful for Fulham fans—they could’ve been leading, not chasing. You’d think a team like Liverpool, fighting for the title, would be airtight defensively, but Robertson and Van Dijk both had moments they’ll want to forget.
If anything, the match raised three major questions:
- Should VAR commentary be more transparent and less defensive?
- Is Van Dijk being subconsciously protected by refs?
- How long can Liverpool afford lapses like these and still maintain a title charge?
What’s your take—do you think Fulham were robbed, or was it just one of those “50/50” moments that went the other way?
