Liverpool’s Premier League campaign suffered another blow on May 4, 2026, as the Reds fell 3-2 to Manchester United at Old Trafford, ending a three-game unbeaten run in the league. The result was immediately overshadowed by a refereeing controversy that drew a sharp response from Arne Slot in the aftermath.
The flashpoint came in the first half, after Matheus Cunha had already put United ahead. Benjamin Sesko extended the home side’s advantage with a goal that replays indicated may have involved a handball — the ball appearing to brush his hand after making contact with his leg before entering the net. VAR conducted a lengthy review but concluded there was “no conclusive evidence” of a handball, and the goal was allowed to stand.
Slot was unequivocal in his assessment of the decision. “If it was a touch, which I think it is, because if you know a bit about ball sports, you know that if a ball has a certain curve and the curve changes, there must have been a contact. The rule is if there was a touch, then it should have been disallowed,” he said.
Beyond the specific incident, Slot used his post-match comments to outline what he described as a consistent trend of marginal decisions going against Liverpool throughout the current campaign. “I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone this season that if there’s a VAR intervention or if there’s something that could be left or could be right (50-50), then the decision goes against us,” he said. “That has been the whole season, every single time.”
The Liverpool manager referenced additional examples to substantiate his frustration, including a penalty call during a Champions League fixture against Paris Saint-Germain. He also pointed to contrasting referee behaviour within Sunday’s match itself. “I saw last week my goalkeeper on the floor with an injury and the referee doesn’t stop the game. I see a player of United off the pitch today and the referee stops the game when we try to play on. That has been our whole season,” Slot added.
The defeat carries significant implications for Liverpool’s final weeks of the Premier League season. According to reports, the loss compounds what has been a difficult run of results for the club, with Slot reportedly equalling former manager Brendan Rodgers’ record following the defeat — a statistical marker that underlines the pressure now building around the squad’s performance at a critical stage of the campaign.
VAR has been a recurring source of debate across the Premier League this season, with multiple managers and clubs raising concerns over the consistency of its application. The “no conclusive evidence” threshold used to overturn on-field decisions has been a particularly contentious point, as it places a high bar on intervention even when replays suggest potential rule violations. Slot’s comments add to a growing chorus of scrutiny directed at the system and its administrators heading into the final rounds of fixtures.
