Did VAR Really Go Against Liverpool? Slot’s Claims Under Scrutiny

Liverpool’s Champions League campaign ended not with a bang, but with a series of complaints. At the center of it all stands Arne Slot, the manager now under heavy fire, who claimed after defeat to PSG that “so many decisions have gone against us this season.” But is this narrative built on reality, or is it simply an attempt to distract from deeper issues within his squad?

The flashpoint came at Anfield, when Alexis Mac Allister appeared to win a penalty at 0-0. For a fleeting moment, hope flickered for Liverpool. Then VAR intervened and, in a decision Slot called “soft,” the referee reversed his call. The reaction from Liverpool figures was immediate and sharp. Tim Sherwood labeled it a penalty during the live broadcast. Defender Ibrahima Konate insisted, “For me it was a clear penalty. I was behind the referee. If we get the penalty and score it would have been completely different.” Slot doubled down in his Amazon Prime interview: “I’m not surprised as so many decisions have gone against us this season… I’ve seen so many soft penalties given but people say VAR can’t interfere because there is contact. That is what we clearly see.”

Yet this narrative quickly unravels under scrutiny. Slot fails to mention that in the first leg, PSG had their own complaints about officiating. Twice, VAR intervened to Liverpool’s benefit: first overturning a penalty given against Konate for a foul on Warren Zaire-Emery, and then choosing not to punish Konate for a push on Nuno Mendes. If the system is rigged against Liverpool, why did they benefit from two crucial calls in Paris? The silence from Anfield on those moments is telling.

Slot’s post-match comments lean heavily on perceived injustice. He referenced Manchester City players bemoaning their luck with referees and suggested that if City feel aggrieved, Liverpool should feel doubly so: “If you can say that, then remember both games you played against us, how many decisions then went against us. So what does this tell you about us?” This argument glosses over inconvenient facts. In high-stakes European football, contentious calls are hardly unique to one club.

The sense of persecution starts looking more like deflection when considering Liverpool’s broader struggles this season. Despite high-profile signings like Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, the team has failed to build on their previous Premier League-winning campaign under Slot. The manager himself admits that the club has been forced into transition, selling eight to ten players while bringing in just five new faces. “We have to sell to buy,” Slot said pointedly post-match, already sounding like a man laying groundwork for excuses.

Supporters are restless and vocal about tactical choices that appear baffling rather than unlucky. One particularly odd decision saw Joe Gomez subbed off just 23 minutes after being brought onto the pitch against PSG, an episode that left fans questioning whether Slot’s head was really in the game or “on Mars,” as some put it.

Meanwhile, Mo Salah remained on the bench throughout and used his post-match interview to accuse the club of "throwing him under a bus," further highlighting internal discord.

It’s not just supporters who are unconvinced by Slot’s approach. Calls for his sacking have grown louder as Liverpool’s season has unraveled. Many now question whether he should even be given another year at the helm when other managers like Klopp or Alonso are reportedly available and eager.

The real question is whether focusing on VAR is masking larger flaws: tactical indecision, failure to get the best out of expensive signings, and questionable man management in high-pressure moments. While some decisions may have been harsh or debatable, such as Mac Allister’s overturned penalty, there is little evidence that Liverpool have been uniquely targeted by officiating mistakes across both legs of their quarter-final exit.

Slot has made much of hard luck stories this season but offers little acknowledgment when fortune favors his side instead of harming it. When pressed on why soft penalties seem only to be awarded against Liverpool and not for them, he offers no answers beyond vague allusions to bad luck and systemic bias.

Liverpool now face an uphill battle just to finish in the Premier League’s top five and secure Champions League football for next season. Judging by recent performances and mounting discontent both inside and outside Anfield, blaming VAR might be easier than addressing deeper structural problems that no video assistant can solve.