Florian Wirtz’s goal for Liverpool against Fulham was allowed to stand following a VAR review, despite the Germany international admitting straight after the move that he thought it would be ruled out for offside.
The incident came when Wirtz broke in behind and finished calmly, only for play to pause as VAR checked the build-up. With Liverpool players waiting for the decision, Wirtz was heard saying: “I was sure it was offside.”
However, the goal was awarded after the review, with the key detail now revealed: VAR confirmed Wirtz was onside because the Fulham defender’s positioning played him on at the decisive moment. The check focused on the exact timing of the pass and the defensive line, and the officials were satisfied Wirtz had not moved beyond the second-to-last defender when the ball was played.
The decision meant Liverpool were able to keep the goal on the board, and it underlined how fine margins can be in modern offside calls, with VAR relying on tight frame-by-frame analysis rather than immediate reactions on the pitch.
