VAR Controversy Erupts After Liverpool’s Narrow Win Over Palace
London, September 28, 2025 – Less than 24 hours after Eddie Nketiah’s dramatic 97th-minute strike seemed to end Liverpool’s unbeaten Premier League run at Selhurst Park, former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has reignited the debate by claiming VAR missed a “blatant handball” by Mohamed Salah in the build-up to Federico Chiesa’s late equalizer. Hackett insists the goal should never have stood, arguing that Palace were denied a legitimate 2-0 victory.
Hackett, writing in The Sun, dissected the incident frame by frame, highlighting that Salah’s arm was away from his body and made himself “unnaturally bigger” to redirect Ryan Gravenberch’s cross to Harvey Elliott, who then set up Chiesa. VAR, led by Michael Salisbury, reviewed the play but ruled there was “no conclusive evidence” of handball. Hackett labeled the review “perfunctory” and a clear violation of IFAB Law 12, sparking outrage online with #SalahHandball trending and fans calling for points deductions or a replay.
The match itself was tense from the start. Ismaila Sarr’s 23rd-minute opener exposed Liverpool’s zonal weaknesses, while Alisson kept the Reds in the game despite 22 shots and 68% possession. Liverpool had rotated key defenders Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold, a decision that may have contributed to Palace’s dominance on set-pieces.
Hackett’s verdict reframes the narrative: in his view, Palace should have led 1-0 until Nketiah’s stoppage-time winner, giving them a clean 2-0 triumph rather than the 2-1 result currently recorded. Social media erupted under #VARRobbery, with fans and pundits divided—some arguing the handball was obvious, others defending VAR’s discretion.
Liverpool, still top of the table, now face scrutiny not for their performance but for a refereeing error that could have altered the standings. Palace, meanwhile, see Hackett’s analysis as a “moral victory,” reinforcing their claims that they were denied a deserved win. As the Premier League season progresses, debates over VAR decisions continue to loom large, shaping both perception and reality in football’s most scrutinized matches.
