VAR in the spotlight as Liverpool knocked out of FA Cup by West Brom

Alex Young @alexwsyoung28 January 2018

West Brom earned a memorable win at Anfield as Liverpool were knocked out of the FA Cup on Saturday but the Video Assistant Referee system took centre-stage.

VAR was used three times, including the first on-field review in English football, during an action-packed first half.

The Baggies thought they had gone 3-1 up at Anfield when Craig Dawson headed past Simon Mignolet from a corner in the 19th minute, but after referee Craig Pawson consulted with VAR Andre Marriner - a process that took just over a minute - the effort was disallowed, due to Gareth Barry having been offside.

The system was in use again soon after as Liverpool appealed for a penalty after Mohamed Salah went down in the box in the 23rd minute.

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This instance saw Pawson watch footage on the pitchside screen before it was deemed that Salah had been fouled by Jake Livermore. That was met by West Brom protestations, during which Barry was booked, and it was the 27th minute by the time the spot-kick was taken by Roberto Firmino, who struck it against the bar.

Pawson was then speaking into his headset once more after the ball went in the Liverpool net again in first-half stoppage time, Dawson's shot going in off Joel Matip.

Matip's own-goal was confirmed, to make it 3-1, following a delay of almost two minutes, with the question having been over whether there had been an offside.

Additional reporting by Press Association.

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