The referee’s decision to award Liverpool’s last-gasp winner against Nottingham Forest on Saturday has been explained, following complaints from Arsenal supporters about Darwin Nunez’s crucial goal. Forest were made to give up possession just minutes before Nunez scored a 99th-minute winner, putting Liverpool four points ahead in the Premier League.
Nunez bagged his 14th goal of the season in the final seconds at the City Ground, helping Jurgen Klopp’s team secure an amazing win over Forest, who are struggling to avoid relegation.
The Uruguayan had missed Liverpool’s last three games due to a muscle injury, but came off the bench for the last 30 minutes of the game in the Midlands. The win increased Liverpool’s lead over Manchester City and Arsenal, who have matches against Manchester United and Sheffield United coming up on Sunday and Monday respectively.
However, there was some controversy about the winning goal at the City Ground. Just before the goal, when Forest were pushing for a winner themselves, referee Paul Tierney wrongly gave Liverpool a drop-ball when Calum Hudson-Odoi had the ball.
The incident happened in the 97th minute when Morgan Gibbs-White’s corner led to Liverpool players Caoimhin Kelleher and Ibrahima Konate colliding at near the post, leaving Konate on the ground.
Referee Tierney stopped play after the ball had left the box and reached Hudson-Odoi, who was preparing to take on Luis Diaz.
When play resumed about a minute later, it was Liverpool who were handed the ball, even though IFAB rules say Forest should have had the drop ball because they were the team in possession.
According to rule 8.2, a drop ball is only given to the defending team’s goalkeeper if the ball or its last touch was in the penalty area when play was stopped. In this case, the defending goalkeeper was Kelleher.
In all other cases, the referee should give a drop ball for “one player of the team that last touched the ball at the position where it last touched a player” – in this case, a Forest man.
It’s worth noting that although Nottingham Forest, Arsenal and Manchester City fans have highlighted this incident from Saturday’s game, Nunez’s winning goal happened almost two minutes after the missed drop ball and two passages of play later, with Forest giving away both a throw-in and a corner kick during that time.
