ANALYSIS: FLORIAN WIRTZ VS VAR—THE TACTICAL BREAKDOWN OF LIVERPOOL’S CONTROVERSIAL EQUALIZING GOAL
Florian Wirtz scores a controversial goal, but Harrison Reed’s 30-yard screamer denies Liverpool victory. Read the full analysis.
Florian Wirtz figured he was offside when he scored that hotly debated goal in Liverpool’s wild 2-2 draw with Fulham. Arne Slot’s side had been chasing the game after Harry Wilson put Fulham ahead in the first half, but Wirtz got Liverpool back on level terms just before the hour.
Right after he scored, the linesman’s flag shot up. Wirtz looked offside when Conor Bradley slid the ball through to him. Even the replays seemed to back that up. But after a VAR check, the referee gave the goal.
Wirtz didn’t even celebrate at first. “I was sure it was offside, so I didn’t celebrate. I was happy to score, but honestly, I’d rather have the three points.”
Liverpool almost snatched all three when Cody Gakpo scored four minutes into stoppage time. But then Harrison Reed stepped up, grabbed the ball 30 yards out, and smashed it into the top corner just three minutes later. An absolute rocket.
Wirtz didn’t hide his frustration. “Not satisfied at all. We need points, and we wanted three points today. There’s no easy game in this league.
“We stepped it up in the second half. The intensity was much better. In the first half, our pressing was off, but after halftime, we improved.”
Talking about Reed’s goal, Wirtz just shook his head. “What can you say? It was unbelievable. You can’t save that.
“Normally, shots like that don’t go in. Maybe the actions before could’ve been better. It came from a throw-in, so we need to be sharper.
“We’re in a tough spot—two draws in a row. That’s not what we want. We have to get better, but it’s still a process.”
Arne Slot didn’t try to sugarcoat it. “If it had ended 1-1, I’d still be disappointed, but to be 2-1 up in stoppage time and then concede... it hurts.
“That shot was incredible. At 1-1, we brought Chiesa on to go for the win and then got ourselves ahead, but then we had to defend a long throw.
“We put Gomez on because he’s strong in the air, but they went short instead of long, and then—bang—what a strike.
“It’s not the first time this season we’ve let goals in at the very end. We’ve dropped so many points like this.
“It’s tough. Frustrating, too, that their first real chance went in. That’s happened before. They had another when Alisson was out, and they hit the bar, but apart from that, we kept it pretty tight away from home.
“We didn’t create loads of chances either, to be honest. Right before their first goal, we had a similar chance and almost scored.
“It keeps happening—just not enough. We’ve relied on luck all season, good and bad, and that has to change.
“We need to reach a point where a last-minute shot doesn’t mean we drop points. That’s our focus, but we’re not there yet.
“I liked the second half a lot more than the first. We controlled things, created chances—two disallowed goals, hit the bar, and scored one. That’s what you want, especially with so many attacking players missing.
“Sometimes, these guys deserve a break, but we’re not getting it. In the end, we can only blame ourselves.”
MOHAMED SALAH SET TO LEAVE LIVERPOOL: FENERBAHCE PREPARE STUNNING THREE-YEAR CONTRACT OFFER
After a decade at Anfield, Mohamed Salah's next move is the talk of football. Will he join Messi or stay in European leagues?
Mohamed Salah looks set to leave Liverpool this summer, and it sounds like he wants to stay in Europe. One of the hottest rumours right now is about Fenerbahçe; they’re ready to offer him a three-year deal worth around £52 million. That’s a huge pay packet, but probably not as big as what he’d get in Saudi Arabia.
Salah’s been on Merseyside for almost a decade, and it’s hard to overstate just how much he’s done for Liverpool. Since joining in 2017 with Jurgen Klopp in charge, he’s picked up two Premier League titles, a Champions League medal, an FA Cup, and two League Cups. Pretty impressive, honestly. But this season hasn’t gone his way, and new boss Arne Slot dropped him for a few games after his form dipped. When Salah announced in March that he’d be leaving, people started up with transfer rumours right away.
In recent years, clubs from the Saudi Pro League have shown considerable interest. Last year, Al Ittihad went as far as slapping a £150 million offer on the table, but Liverpool turned it down.
Now the story goes that Salah wants to stay in Europe even though he’d pocket way more in Saudi Arabia. Reports out of Egypt claim Fenerbahce, managed by Jose Mourinho’s old club, have already sat down with Salah’s agent. They apparently laid out their big plans, offering £17.3 million a year with a three-year contract, and they want to build the team around him to end their league title drought stretching back to 2014.
There’s also talk of Real Madrid getting involved. Still, their transfer policy usually steers clear of handing massive contracts to players pushing the end of their careers, even superstars like Salah. Clubs in Italy, like Roma, Juventus, and Inter Milan, are keeping tabs on him too. And just to make things more interesting, someone floated the idea of Salah joining up with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami in the MLS, though the league's salary cap throws a wrench into that.
At this point, everybody’s watching Salah’s next move; the only certainty is that he won’t be short of offers when he finally says goodbye to Liverpool.
WHY IS LIVERPOOL HESITATING TO HIRE XABI ALONSO DESPITE OVERWHELMING FAN SUPPORT?
Liverpool has contacted Real Madrid to investigate Xabi Alonso’s tenure, as pressure grows on current manager Arne Slot at Anfield.
Liverpool have reached out to Real Madrid to ask about Xabi Alonso, but honestly, there’s some debate going on behind the scenes. People have been talking about Alonso stepping in at Anfield, especially since Arne Slot’s season hasn’t gone over well. Fans let out some boos after that 1-1 draw with Chelsea, and the mood is pretty tense. Even though Slot led Liverpool to a league title last year, quite a few supporters seem fed up with him and would rather see Alonso take charge.
But Spanish outlet AS says Liverpool have contacted Real Madrid to get the inside scoop on what happened during Alonso’s time at the club. It sounds like the decision-makers at Liverpool are starting to feel unsure about him, and they might actually stick with Slot for another season.
Alonso landed the Real Madrid job last summer after doing wonders at Bayer Leverkusen. Still, just six months in, Madrid let him go, reportedly because the locker room was falling apart. Liverpool’s relationship with Real Madrid is strong, and they apparently want some honest feedback – kind of like asking for a reference from a past employer, which isn’t unusual.
Liverpool’s spot in next year’s Champions League is almost locked in, but with two games left, it’s not guaranteed yet. When asked about the boos, Slot admitted he has some work to do to win fans over.
He said, “Not this season. Fans won’t change their minds now. But if we get the summer we’re planning, I’m convinced we’ll be a different team next season. Results, style, everything. It’s not always easy, though. Sometimes you know what needs fixing, but getting what you want isn’t so simple. This season, it’s been pretty clear what we’re missing. We’re trying to solve it, but one issue is simply having enough fit players. Still, our guys show every week in the second half that they’re giving everything they’ve got.”
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