The reason Diogo Jota’s goal against Everton was allowed has been explained, prompting Gary Neville to call for a rule change.
Liverpool continued their pursuit of the Premier League title on Wednesday night as they hosted rivals Everton at Anfield.
Following Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Fulham on Tuesday, there was some tension among the Anfield crowd, with the Gunners narrowing the gap to nine points. However, that anxiety was soon eased when Jota found the net in the 57th minute, sending the stadium into a frenzy.
Liverpool eventually secured a crucial 1-0 win, maintaining their 12-point lead at the top with just eight matches remaining.
After the game, Everton manager David Moyes expressed his frustration over the decision to let Jota’s goal stand. He argued that Luis Diaz, returning from an offside position, influenced Everton’s James Tarkowski, who was forced to stretch to clear the ball.
Moments later, Diaz executed a clever flick to set up Jota, who maneuvered past two defenders before scoring.
According to The Echo, officials at Stockley Park ruled that Diaz did not affect Tarkowski’s ability to play the ball, so the on-field decision was not overturned.
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville was displeased with the ruling.
Commenting on the decision, Neville said: “When Diaz was offside in the buildup and the ball was played down the channel, Tarkowski had to stretch for it because Diaz was there.
“I don’t like that one. As a defender, I’m going to complain about it. They scored from that, and in my opinion, that’s offside. I know the rules don’t say so, but I believe it should be.”
He continued: “Diaz interfered with play because Tarkowski had to stretch. This isn’t about Liverpool—they deserved to win. But Diaz was definitely involved, and I don’t agree with the rule.”
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