Liverpool FC news recap: STATEMENT on VAR decision, contract SIGNED, City court case

Here’s all your latest Liverpool FC news. The Reds saw a statement from the Premier League on a controversial VAR decision.

VAR statement

One controversial moment in Liverpool's win at Crystal Palace came when Virgil van Dijk and the Liverpool-linked centre-back Marc Guehi got into a tangle, with van Dijk appearing to grab Guehi’s arm and send him spinning to the floor as the ball came into the box.

No penalty was given at the time and VAR didn’t change this - much to Guehi’s chagrin - and the Premier League have since issued a statement.

‘The referee’s call of no penalty for the challenge by Van Dijk on Guehi is checked and confirmed by VAR - deeming the challenge was not sustained holding and had no impact on the play.’

The statement is clear whilst being confusing. ‘Sustained holding’ seems to be a ill-defined, subjective term. And whilst Guehi might not have got to the ball on this specific occasion, off-the-ball incidents are fouls too.

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Quansah signs contract

Liverpool have tied young defender Jarell Quansah down to a long-term contract. The Reds announced the deal on Monday afternoon.

Quansah broke through into the first-team setup last season, finishing as first-choice alongside Virgil van Dijk as Jurgen Klopp's reign came to an end. He's been unable to hold down a similar role this season under Arne Slot, but Liverpool have put their faith in the defender with a new deal.

Talk of a similar deal is in the air for Ibrahima Konaté, which could see the Reds lock down the future of their defence.

Liverpool named in court case

One very interesting result of Manchester City's court ruling being made public is the list of witnesses for both sides. Man City actually had three other Premier League clubs giving evidence for them - Newcastle United, Chelsea and Everton. It's not a great surprise that they're the trio, of course.

Newcastle are in a very similar boat to City and if rulings go a certain way, it opens the door for the Magpies to run rampant financially. Chelsea are also playing high-risk money games and would want as little restriction as possible.

Everton are a notable one. They're fun into financial issues with the Premier League over the last 18 months, though certainly don't have the financial power of the other three.

But Liverpool were also named here. They were one of several clubs who gave evidence in support of the Premier League. Per the Telegraph, Brighton, West Ham, Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal joined them in that.

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Liverpool given early Chelsea boost

Liverpool's hopes of beating Chelsea at Anfield were dealt a significant boost over the weekend with a pair of Blues' stars picking up their FIFTH yellow cards of the season, leading to them being ruled out of the Liverpool game.

Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana have been among Maresca's most consistent performers over the course of this season, helping the Stamford Bridge outfit to a top-four place after seven matches.

However, the defensive pair have struggled with disciplinary issues this term with Cucurella being booked in the side's second league game of the season against Wolves before acquiring bookings in each of his last four outings.

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