Florian Wirtz’s goal for Liverpool in their Premier League draw with Fulham on Sunday has come under scrutiny despite being awarded by VAR
Florian Wirtz thought he was offside for his controversial goal in Liverpool’s dramatic 2-2 draw with Fulham. Arne Slot’s side were trailing 1-0 to Harry Wilson’s first-half opener when the German international drew his side level just before the hour mark.
Wirtz, though, swiftly saw the linesman raise his flag to initially rule out the goal, with him appearing in an offside position after Conor Bradley’s smart pass towards him. However, even though replays appeared to suggest that the playmaker was indeed in an offside position, following a VAR review the goal was given.
And the former Bayer Leverkusen man has admitted that he even decided against celebrating initially because he thought he was offside. He said: “I was sure it was offside so I didn’t even celebrate. I was happy that I scored but I’d rather take the three points.”
Liverpool thought they had secured all three points when Cody Gakpo scored four minutes into stoppage time. But Harrison Reed had other ideas as he picked up the ball from 30 yards out and found the top corner with a superb strike three minutes later.
“Not satisfied at all,” Wirtz said on the draw. “We need points and we wanted three points today. We know there’s no easy game in this league.
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“The intensity we brought on the pitch in the second half was much better. We didn’t press them well in the first half but the second half was much better.”
Before he added: “The strike, there is nothing to say. It was unbelievable. You cannot save that ball.
“Normally, it doesn’t go in like this. The actions before could have been better, I’m not sure. It was from a throw-in, so we have to be better.
“Again, we are in a difficult situation because we drew two times. It’s not what we want, we want more. We have to get better but it’s still a process.”
On the draw, Reds boss Arne Slot reflected: “If it would have finished 1-1, then I would maybe still have been disappointed then but you are 2-1 up in extra time and then you concede a goal, and it leads to 2-2; we are disappointed with the outcome.
“It was an incredible shot. When it was 1-1 we made an offensive change with Chiesa to try to win the game and then we were 2-1 up having to defend a long throw in.
“We brought Gomez in because he is very good in the air but they didn’t take it long, they took it short, and it was an incredible strike.
“It is not for the first time this season that we have conceded in the final seconds of the game. So many points have disappeared for us.
“Of course it is frustrating. It’s also frustrating that their first chance of the game goes in, that is also not the first time.
“Then they had a second chance when Alisson was out of his goal and they chipped it on the bar. For the rest I think it is quite good if you play an away game and barely concede a chance.
“It isn’t as if we created chance after chance, that was not the situation, but just before they scored for 1-0 we had a similar chance where we were close.
“Every time it’s just not enough. We relied on the whole season on good and bad luck and that is something we have to improve.
“We have to improve so a shot in the last minute does not immediately lead to us losing points. That is what we are trying to do but we have not done that yet.
“I liked our second half more than our first half. We controlled the game and a few times were close, of course you always want more.
“That’s what we brought in the second half; two disallowed goals, hitting the bar, a goal, that is ideally what you want to see when you have so many attacking players out.
“Once in a while the boys should get a reward but we do not get it and once again the only one to blame is ourselves.”
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