Apparently Dermot Gallagher has confirmed that VAR did not get involved.
If that's the case then that's all we need to know about was is going on at the moment. Same as Liverpool vs Wolves last week. If certain sides can be favored by twisting the rules then its going to happen. In the Liverpool game the referee signaled to the linesman to raise the offside flag despite the fact that the referee was not in a position to call it - he was too far behind the ball on a tight line call. The linesman raises the flag and suddenly the VAR information is 'not available' and the referee has not made a 'clear and obvious error' in calling the offside so its not an offside. Anyone remember a cup semifinal against Arsenal that we lost because a linesman had ruled a ball out of play despite not being level with the line (he was miles behind the play and so couldn't possibly have called it.)
In today's game, we all know Rashford was offside and the linesman raised his flag (in most people's mind correctly - because he was interfering with play in affecting what the city player's needed to do). The referee decides to overrule it on the utter nonsense principle of 'he didn't touch the ball' - this is despite the fact he was practically shepherding it and the City players couldn't simply clear it. Its unbelievable really. Anyone remember a Derby at Old Trafford where the Goat scored the winner only for it to over-ruled for a hairline brush off Anelka's glove that you needed binocular's to see.
But here is the thing, about whether VAR was called in or not today. From the referee's position I think its impossible to tell that Rashford didn't get a nibble on that bobbling ball, in fact any amateur footballer knows that when a ball is bobbling like that you leave it alone to make up its mind what its going to do, as its likely to come off your shins as much as your toes. It bobbled close enough to Rashford for VAR to be needed to be certain that he didn't glance it, (the whole thing is BS but what can you do).
That incident turned the game completely.#
There's nothing wrong with VAR - its just the 'crafty' way its been implemented: clear and obvious error, no need for ref to consult VAR, VAR will always be consulted when a goal is scored, Anfield didn't have VAR information so it doesn't matter etc. Its a system set to fail, and seemingly set to allow just enough slack to favour the usual favourites - this week has shown that clearly. Absolutely gutted.