Jamie Carragher has voiced strong criticism against the VAR officials following a controversial incident involving Bournemouth defender Marco Senesi during Liverpool’s opening Premier League match of the season.
The flashpoint occurred in just the 14th minute of the game when Senesi made a poor first touch near his own defensive area, which almost allowed Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike to break through on goal. In an attempt to recover from his error, the Argentine defender appeared to extend his arm and handle the ball deliberately to prevent Ekitike from gaining control of it. To the surprise of many, including Liverpool players and coaching staff, both the on-field referee and the VAR team chose not to penalize the action.
Instead of punishing the handball, the officials awarded Bournemouth a free-kick moments later after Cody Gakpo was adjudged to have committed a handball during the ensuing play. This decision infuriated Liverpool manager Arne Slot and his squad, who surrounded the referee to protest what they believed was a clear infringement that could have changed the momentum of the game.
The Premier League later issued a clarification, stating that the VAR team did not deem Senesi’s handball to be sufficiently deliberate to warrant intervention. They further explained that Hugo Ekitike was still too far from the goal to categorize the action as a denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity. This explanation, however, did little to convince critics.
Working as a pundit on commentary duty for Sky Sports, Carragher made his feelings very clear. He insisted that the decision was wrong, arguing that Senesi’s movement and reaction were unmistakably intentional. “That’s handball. He knows exactly what he’s doing, and it’s a natural reaction from a defender trying to cover up his mistake,” Carragher said. He added, “The information the referee received in that moment was simply not correct, and it’s a major flaw in how VAR is being applied.”
Despite the controversy, Liverpool went on to dominate the match with a 4-2 victory. Hugo Ekitike opened his Premier League account with his first goal for the Reds, while Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa, and Mohamed Salah all added their names to the scoresheet. Bournemouth fought back through Antoine Semenyo, who netted twice to keep the visitors in the contest, but their efforts ultimately fell short against Liverpool’s attacking firepower.
The incident is already being debated widely among fans and pundits, with many echoing Carragher’s criticism and questioning whether VAR is achieving its intended purpose of bringing clarity and fairness to the game.