Premier League publishes full VAR dudio from Van Dijk’s disallowed goal

November 12, 2025 Oliver Obel

The incident took place in the first half when Van Dijk’s header found the net, only for the assistant referee to raise the flag. Officials ruled that Andy Robertson, positioned close to City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, had interfered with play — even though he did not touch the ball.

Liverpool’s view, reported by the Premier League broadcast, was that Robertson merely ducked to avoid contact and did not obstruct Donnarumma’s line of sight. The club also expressed frustration about what they believe were irregularities in the VAR review process.

Audio and referee discussion released

On Tuesday’s edition of Match Officials: Mic’d Up, footage and audio from the review were aired, offering a rare inside look at the officials’ real-time communication. The conversation included referee Chris Kavanagh, assistant Stuart Burt, and VAR officials Michael Oliver and Tim Wood.

You can listen to the full audio clip here

During the broadcast, PGMOL chief refereeing officer Howard Webb defended the officials’ handling of the situation.

“For sure Michael, a huge decision in a big game,” Webb said. “As the ball moves towards Robertson, he makes that clear action to duck below the ball. The officials have to make a judgment — did that clear action impact on the goalkeeper and his ability to save the ball?”

Webb explained that, while the judgment was subjective, it was reasonable given Robertson’s proximity to the goalkeeper.

“They form the conclusion that it impacts Donnarumma's ability to dive towards the ball and make the save,” he added.

Why VAR did not overturn the decision

Webb further outlined why VAR did not intervene.

“Once they've made that on-field decision, the job of the VAR is to decide whether the outcome was clearly and obviously wrong,” he said. “Only Donnarumma truly knows if he was impacted by this, and we have to look at the factual evidence.”

The released audio revealed the sequence of communication between the match officials:

Assistant referee Stuart Burt: “Robertson's in line of vision, right in front of the keeper. He's ducked under the ball. He's very, very close to him. I think he's line of vision. I think he's been impacted, mate.”

Referee Chris Kavanagh: “Ok so offside then.”

VAR Michael Oliver: “He is in an offside position, very close to the goalkeeper and makes an obvious movement directly in front of him. Check complete, offside.”

Transparency and ongoing debate

The Premier League’s decision to publish the audio is part of its broader push for greater transparency in officiating. Similar releases in recent months have aimed to demystify the decision-making process behind contentious VAR moments.

While Liverpool have not issued a new statement since the release, the incident has already reignited debate among supporters and analysts about what constitutes “interference” in offside calls. Former players and pundits have also questioned whether subjectivity continues to undermine VAR’s consistency in the Premier League.

As scrutiny grows, Webb and PGMOL are expected to continue explaining controversial moments in future editions of Mic’d Up, as calls for clearer communication between referees and fans intensify.

Sources: Sky Sports, PGMOL, Premier League