PGMOL Under Fire: Ex-Chief Slams ‘Nailed-On’ VAR Blunder in Liverpool’s Win Over Ipswich Town

Liverpool may have walked away from Portman Road with a convincing 2-0 victory over Ipswich Town, but the result has been overshadowed by a major refereeing controversy after a former PGMOL chief questioned why VAR failed to intervene over a penalty incident involving Cody Gakpo.

Former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee Keith Hackett has delivered a damning assessment of the incident, describing the challenge on Gakpo as a “nailed-on” penalty and arguing that VAR should have intervened.

The controversy came during a match in which Liverpool made a flying start under Andoni Iraola. Alexander Isak struck twice inside the opening nine minutes, with Cody Gakpo providing the assists for both goals. Liverpool ultimately controlled the game well enough to secure their first Premier League victory of the season.

Yet the penalty incident has created a completely different talking point.

Hackett Questions VAR Decision

The incident involved Ipswich defender Abdul Fatawu and Liverpool forward Gakpo. Fatawu challenged Gakpo from behind inside the penalty area, with reports stating that the Ipswich player failed to make contact with the ball.

Hackett believes the incident crossed the threshold for VAR intervention.

According to the former refereeing chief, Liverpool should have been awarded a penalty and the failure of VAR to recommend an on-field review represented a clear error. His assessment has immediately placed further pressure on the officials involved in the match.

The match officials had been confirmed before kick-off, with Darren England appointed as referee and Nick Hopton serving as VAR, assisted by Gary Beswick.

That combination has now come under scrutiny because of the decision not to intervene.

Liverpool Had Already Done the Damage

Ironically, the controversy did not prevent Liverpool from taking all three points.

Iraola’s side needed only nine minutes to establish a two-goal advantage. Isak opened the scoring before quickly adding another, with Gakpo involved in both moves.

The early double gave Liverpool the perfect platform and allowed them to manage the remainder of the contest from a position of strength.

Ipswich did improve as the match progressed, creating periods of pressure and showing greater attacking ambition after the interval. However, they could not find a way past Liverpool’s defence.

Liverpool eventually recorded a clean sheet and moved up to fifth in the Premier League table with five points from their opening three matches.

For Ipswich, the defeat leaves them with three points from three games, although their response after Liverpool’s explosive opening offered some encouragement.

Why the VAR Debate Matters

The latest controversy comes at a time when VAR remains one of the most heavily scrutinised aspects of Premier League football.

The technology was introduced to reduce major officiating errors, but disagreements over intervention thresholds continue to dominate post-match discussions.

The key question in this case is not simply whether the challenge was a foul. It is whether the incident was sufficiently clear and obvious to justify VAR intervention.

Hackett’s position is that it was.

That makes the controversy particularly significant because VAR is expected to step in when a clear and obvious error has occurred in one of the key decision-making areas covered by the protocol.

Liverpool supporters may feel frustrated that the incident was not reviewed, while Ipswich fans could understandably argue that the attention surrounding the decision should not overshadow the fact that their side conceded twice inside the opening ten minutes.

Another VAR Headache for Liverpool

The incident also adds another chapter to Liverpool’s complicated relationship with VAR.

The club has previously been at the centre of major officiating controversies, most notably the 2023 Tottenham Hotspur match involving Luis Díaz’s disallowed goal. In that case, PGMOL acknowledged that standards had fallen below expectations and released VAR audio after conducting a review.

While the circumstances are completely different this time, the latest criticism demonstrates how quickly individual decisions can reignite wider questions about officiating standards.

For Liverpool, however, there is an important distinction: this time the controversial decision did not cost them points.

The Reds had already built an unassailable-looking two-goal advantage before the incident became a major talking point.

PGMOL Facing More Questions

The pressure on PGMOL will now centre on whether officials believe the decision was correct under the existing VAR protocol.

The Premier League has repeatedly stressed that VAR is not designed to re-referee every decision. Instead, intervention is intended for clear and obvious errors within the reviewable categories.

That distinction will be crucial when assessing the Gakpo incident.

Hackett’s criticism, however, suggests that at least one highly experienced former refereeing authority believes the threshold was met.

That leaves supporters asking a simple question: if a challenge from behind inside the penalty area fails to win the ball, what more does VAR need to see before becoming involved?

Liverpool Can Focus on the Positives

Despite the controversy, Liverpool will be delighted with the bigger picture.

The victory represents Iraola’s first Premier League win as Liverpool manager after two opening draws against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest. The result also gives the team momentum after an uncertain beginning to the campaign.

Isak’s two goals will dominate the headlines from Liverpool’s perspective, while Gakpo’s two assists underline his importance to the new manager.

New signing Bradley Barcola also made his Liverpool debut from the bench, giving supporters another glimpse of the attacking options available to Iraola.

But the penalty controversy means the refereeing team will remain part of the conversation.

For PGMOL, the biggest concern is not that a contentious decision occurred. Football will always produce debatable moments.

The bigger issue is whether the technology designed to correct clear mistakes failed to act when it should have.

That is precisely why Hackett’s “nailed-on” assessment carries weight.

Liverpool have their first victory of the Iraola era, but the VAR debate surrounding the match is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.