Liverpool
How VAR and the Handball Law Decided Mac Allister’s Late Goal at the City Ground
VAR check ended the match with Liverpool winning 1–0 as Mac Allister’s goal survived review. images .
Alexis Mac Allister’s late intervention at the City Ground produced a turbulent close to Liverpool’s trip to Nottingham Forest as VAR again placed the handball law under the spotlight.
Mac Allister struck in the seventh minute of stoppage time to seemingly win the match, but the celebration was followed by a VAR review that threatened to undo the finish. The goal was belatedly checked and cleared to confirm a 1–0 win.
The Premier League’s official match centre X account deferred to the referee’s on-field explanation. “After review,” Taylor told the City Ground crowd, “the ball hits the arm of the goal scorer, Liverpool No. 10. Therefore, it’s an accidental handball by the goal scorer, so the final decision is a direct free kick.”
Handball remains one of the most contested laws in modern football. The FA Handbook’s Law 12 removes the need to prove intent in certain scoring situations, stating it is a handball offence if a player “scores in the opponents’ goal directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental” or “immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm.”
Mac Allister argued to anyone who would listen that the ball struck the top of his arm, outside the prescribed boundary. “It hit my back and my elbow. I understand the rule but if you understand football, that goal should have stood,” he argued. “It doesn’t feel nice in the moment but it is what it is. VAR is a good tool if you look at the mistakes the referees used to make. We need to waste these seconds or minutes because it’s best for football.
To clarify which parts of the body are in scope, the FA Handbook states: “For the purposes of determining handball offences, the upper boundary of the arm is in line with the bottom of the armpit.” Images from the incident show contact on the elbow, a point that places the strike within the handball range.
Intriguingly, the Premier League opted not to officially comment on the goal that delivered Liverpool three points. While Mac Allister’s close-range finish itself carried no controversy, there was a suggestion of offside involving two teammates that attracted attention in the closing moments.
Liverpool
Liverpool Lodge $116 Million Call for OIise as Rashford Forces Barcelona’s Hand
Liverpool have made a $116 million OIise call; Rashford forces Barcelona’s hand. Transfer News Live.
Two developments dominate the transfer headlines: Liverpool have made a $116 million call for OIise, and Rashford forces Barcelona’s hand. Both items arrived as distinct but related signals about activity in the market.
Liverpool’s move is notable for its scale. A $116 million call places OIise at the centre of significant interest, and the figure alone frames the situation as one that demands attention. The report that Liverpool have taken the initiative is the sole detail provided about that approach, and it is enough to underline the seriousness of the club’s intent.
Separately, Rashford forces Barcelona’s hand. That phrase indicates action originating from Rashford that prompted a response from Barcelona. No further mechanics or timing are supplied; the fact given is that Rashford’s actions have compelled Barcelona into a decision-making posture.
Taken together, the two short reports point to a transfer environment in which high-value calls and player-driven developments coexist. Liverpool’s $116 million call for OIise reads as an aggressive valuation-led step. Rashford’s influence on Barcelona suggests a situation shaped by individual initiative rather than only by clubs negotiating in isolation.
There is no additional detail on negotiations, counteroffers, or outcomes. The information available is limited to the two core facts: Liverpool have made a $116 million call for OIise, and Rashford forces Barcelona’s hand. From those facts, the clear takeaway is that significant financial commitment and player-driven momentum are both present in current transfer reporting.
As items of transfer news and transfer rumours, these reports will be subject to follow-up. For now, the record is concise: a high-value call by Liverpool centered on OIise, and a development in which Rashford has caused Barcelona to act.
Chelsea
How the next five fixtures will shape Man Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea’s top-five bids
Next five fixtures for Man Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea and how they could affect the top-five race…
Chelsea enjoyed the perfect midweek as their bid to qualify for the Champions League was completely re-energized. A midweek of surprises has compressed the table, leaving Liverpool in sixth and Man Utd in third with just three points separating four sides.
A top-five finish will almost certainly be enough for entry into next season’s Champions League and the next five Premier League games could have a drastic impact on who claims those positions.
Man Utd face Aston Villa (A) on March 15, Bournemouth (A) on March 20, Leeds (H) on April 13, Chelsea (A) on April 18 and Brentford (H) on April 27. Man Utd have the luxury of avoiding European and cup soccer for the remainder of the term, which reduces their midweek congestion compared with Chelsea and Liverpool.
Liverpool’s next five are Tottenham (H) on March 15, Brighton (A) on March 21, Fulham (H) on April 11, Everton (A) on April 19 and Crystal Palace (H) on April 25. Liverpool had been in resurgent form—well, results-wise at least—but their Tuesday night humiliation at Wolverhampton Wanderers rocked their Champions League qualification bid. The Reds have two opportunities to make amends before the March international break. Champions League and FA Cup matches come before the clash with Tottenham on March 15, with Liverpool seeking to do the double over their relegation-threatened visitors. On their return from the Premier League hiatus, Liverpool face Fulham at Anfield. Then comes the first Merseyside derby at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, a fixture that has yielded difficulties for Liverpool away at Everton over the past decade.
Chelsea’s schedule reads Newcastle (H) on March 14, Everton (A) on March 21, Man City (H) on April 12, Man Utd (H) on April 18 and Brighton (A) on April 26. The Blues will juggle European and cup fixtures alongside this run. The trip to Stamford Bridge from Newcastle is a tough test, and the return of league action sees Liam Rosenior’s men host title-chasing Manchester City followed by the clash with Man Utd. The clash with the Red Devils, which Chelsea lost earlier this term after yet another red card, could prove pivotal in the race for the top five.
Liverpool
Gerrard Urges Ngumoha Start as Gakpo Faces Criticism After Faltering Display
Gerrard wants Ngumoha to start for Liverpool after Gakpo’s subdued display in the FA Cup tie. Friday
Steven Gerrard publicly urged Arne Slot to promote Rio Ngumoha into the starting XI ahead of Liverpool’s FA Cup rematch with Wolverhampton Wanderers, after a performance he described as lacking quality and tempo. Gerrard said on TNT Sports: “For 65 minutes, Liverpool were desperate tonight,” he moaned as part of TNT Sports’ coverage. “Really poor, didn’t create enough. They didn’t play at the right speed [or] the right tempo. They didn’t have enough quality. He has to start Ngumoha now. He has to start because he’s coming on and he’s doing more in a short cameo, in a short space of time, than Gakpo is doing in 65–70 minutes. So he deserves to start.
“He’s got to start the kid on Friday night.”
Gakpo struggled to make a positive case on Tuesday. A late set piece that escaped a Wolves head led to Curtis Jones appearing to chest the ball toward goal only for it to be hooked away, with Gakpo inadvertently implicated in the sequence. The left winger’s season has drawn criticism: he has similar minutes to last term but a reduced goals return, and has not replaced the output lost when Luis Díaz left for Bayern Munich in the summer.
Yet the wider issue remains collective. Gakpo remains Liverpool’s second top scorer and his per-90 figures show his continued attacking involvement. 2025–26 Premier League per-90 data for Gakpo: Games 27; Goals 6 (0.27); Expected Goals 6.2 (0.28); Shots 64 (2.9); Shot on Target 22%; Open Play Assists 2 (0.10); Open Play xA 3.7 (0.17); Open Play Chances Created 35 (1.6); Carries Ending in a Goal/Assist 2 (0.1); Carries Ending in a Shot/Chance Created 55 (2.1). Stats via Opta.
Rio Ngumoha remains a prospect: 17 games, 3 starts, 424 minutes, 1 goal, xG 0.88, 7 shots, 0 assists, 14 chances created. “Rio Ngumoha came on in the 77th minute [and] he did more in 15 minutes than Gakpo and Salah did in the whole game,” Jamie Carragher said. “He changed the game this kid. He needs to be starting games now. He’s that good.”
Slot has limited Ngumoha to three starts this season, all in cup competition. Even without external pressure, there is a reasonable chance Ngumoha would start Friday’s FA Cup fifth round tie back at Molineux.
