Tottenham Hotspur secured a narrow 1-0 victory against Liverpool in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semifinal, with Lucas Bergvall scoring the decisive goal in the 86th minute. The match, held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, saw significant controversy surrounding the use of VAR, which made its first in-stadium announcement by a match official during this fixture.
In the lead-up to the winning goal, Bergvall found himself in a critical situation after escaping a second yellow card for a late tackle on Kostas Tsimikas. His fortunate reprieve was overshadowed by VAR's involvement in a previous goal attempt from Dominic Solanke, which was ruled out for offside. The decision to disallow Solanke’s strike drew attention to the ongoing debate surrounding VAR's impact on the game.
Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham's manager, expressed his views on the evolving landscape of football, particularly how VAR has changed the sport more than any other factor in the last 50 years. He noted that English football needs to take steps to better protect the integrity of the game.
"I'm really surprised at how people in this country are so easily letting the game change so much so quickly. It's changed more since VAR has come in since I've been involved than in the past 50 years."
— Ange Postecoglou
Postecoglou also sympathized with Arne Slot, Liverpool's manager, regarding his frustrations with the VAR decision that led to Solanke's goal being disallowed. He acknowledged that while the correct call was made according to the letter of the law, it still left room for critique on how such decisions are perceived by players and fans alike.
The match referee, Stuart Attwell, was at the center of these discussions as he enforced VAR protocols throughout the game. Postecoglou highlighted concerns about the inconsistency of officiating, stating, "We've been told consistently in the last few weeks, because I've been screaming about it from the sidelines as a lot of teams have got away with a lot of fouls with us, without bookings, because the referee plays advantage."
As football continues to adapt to technologies like VAR, Postecoglou urged caution regarding how quickly these changes are accepted.
"Slow things down, I think. We've just got to be careful about [asking] constantly why do we want to change the game so much."
— Ange Postecoglou
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