Despite the protests of David Moyes and the Everton supporters, Luis Diaz was not offside in the buildup to Diogo Jota‘s winning goal for Liverpool at Anfield.
Diaz provided the assist for Jota’s second-half winner on Wednesday night, but earlier in the move the Colombian had been in an offside position.
When Ryan Gravenberch played his initial pass towards Liverpool’s No. 7, he was stood behind the Everton back line, which has been held up as a clear offside by the Everton manager.
But by the letter of the law, Diaz was not offside.
According to the FA, a player can be deemed to be interfering in play from an offside position if they are:
- Preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision
- Challenging an opponent for the ball
- Clearly attempting to play a ball which is close when this action impacts on an opponent
- Making an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball
Diaz, though offside in his positioning, was adjudged not to have impacted the play by any of those definitions following a check by VAR Paul Tierney.
James Tarkowski blocked the pass to the winger, who had made no movement towards the ball, and another phase of play began with Jota winning the ball off James Garner.
The ball then fell to Diaz – now in an onside position – and he flicked it into the path of his fellow forward, who did the rest.
There could certainly be sympathy with Everton as it is clear that Tarkowski would not have reacted the way he did if Diaz was not stood behind him, nor would Gravenberch have played that pass.
But there was no offside by definition.
What Moyes and Slot said
Speaking after the game, Moyes was unsurprisingly frustrated with the decision to uphold Liverpool’s winning goal.
“He’s offside. I’ve not had an explanation, but I’ve said that I’m disappointed,” Moyes told reporters after his side’s 1-0 loss.
“It’s quite an easy one to give as well, because all of our players are holding the 18-yard line, Diaz comes from behind and affects Tarky from behind, clearly.
“I’m really surprised it wasn’t given – or maybe I’m not surprised.”
And while Arne Slot admitted he “hated” the rule, he pointed out in his own post-match press conference that the decision was correct.
“Do I like the rule? No. I don’t like the rule,” the head coach said.
“I think it’s a rule that is not helping the team that wants to attack because normally we always go to the halfway line, they kick the ball long, the striker is in an offside position, and my centre-backs feel they have to head the ball away.
“I always tell the linesman it was offside and they say, ‘no, no, no, he’s not interfering’.
” I hate that rule, but the execution of the rule was fortunately for us today. Well done in that situation.”
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