‘Completely unforgivable from VAR’ – Liverpool left cursing technology following confusion in Liverpool defeat

VAR was not used at the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City defeated Liverpool in the Carabao Cup

As Liverpool’s era as Carabao Cup holders came to an end, Jurgen Klopp questioned the decision not to employ VAR.

The Reds’ season began after the World Cup break with a 3-2 loss against Manchester City in a thrilling fourth-round match on Thursday evening.

VAR is not used in the Carabao Cup until the semi-final stage, according to new rules for the 2019/20 season.

While Klopp acknowledges that the technology cannot be used in the early rounds, the Reds manager believes it was wrong for it to remain dormant at the Etihad, with referee David Coote and his colleagues making a number of contentious calls during the game.

“If we have VAR, the officials are used to VAR, and then you tell them no… it appeared in a handful of scenarios that they were waiting for or believing VAR was still there, but there was nothing,” he explained.

“There were a handful of offside rulings where everybody in the stadium was confident it was offside, I don’t know if it was in the end or not, and we couldn’t watch it back.

“It makes sense if you play a competition and everyone has VAR, why shouldn’t you? I understand that in earlier rounds, it may not be possible at all levels. But it’s City versus Liverpool, and I believe all of the technical equipment is present, so why not use it?”