Chelsea put a stop to Liverpool's unbeaten start to the season, with an Eden Hazard stunner condemning the Reds to a 2-1 loss in the Carabao Cup.
Liverpool had taken the lead through Daniel Sturridge in the second half, the England striker acrobatically finishing after a Willy Caballero parry fell to him in the box.
Hazard's 85th minute strike was a thing of beauty, but there was some controversy surrounding Chelsea's equaliser.
Naby Keita had fouled Victor Moses on the right wing, with Eden Hazard stepping up to take the free kick. The Belgian swung the ball into the box and a Barkley header was saved by Mignolet, with Emerson finishing from close range.
The goal went to VAR, with the officials checking for offside, and though the pictures are not definitive it does appear as if part of Barkley's body was in an offside position.
This fact was not lost on Liverpool fans, who complained that the goal should have been ruled out:
Var don’t make me laugh pic.twitter.com/yfWt1KwpNH
— BOBBY FIRMINO (@NoLookBobby9) September 26, 2018
What's the point of having VAR if it shows someone's offside and you just go 'nah crack on'?
— Philip Blundell (@PhilBlundell) September 26, 2018
VAR is a myth. pic.twitter.com/N6ZoyLir07
— Leanne Prescott (@_lfcleanne) September 26, 2018
Am I going mad, or was Barkley not offside. And it went to VAR and they still missed it. Tell me what I'm missing?
— Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) September 26, 2018
Only the reds could concede an offside goal with VAR available from a free kick that wasn’t even a foul.
— - (@AnfieldPyro) September 26, 2018
So we gonna talk about how VAR saw three Chelsea players offside on a set-piece and just let the goal stand or is that one just gonna fly
— Si (@PhantomGoal) September 26, 2018
The refree awarded this offside goal even after checking on the VAR, says a lot about english refrees and @FA cannot do anything about it. pic.twitter.com/Q2GFRdeLjt
— Utkarsh Joshi (@UtkarshJos) September 26, 2018
Even Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was upset that Emerson's goal was not ruled out:
Klopp on first goal - I don't think it's a foul, the linesman wanted to give a throw- and then a yellow card! I don't think I have Liverpool glasses on my nose but two are clearly offside and Barkley is just offside. If you use VAR make a decision!
— Andy Kelly (@AndyK_LivNews) September 26, 2018
Liverpool will not have to wait to avenge their defeat as the Reds head to London on Saturday to play Chelsea in the Premier League.
