Why a replay between Tottenham and Liverpool won't happen

On Tuesday, the PGMOL released the audio footage between the VAR and match officials during the incorrect Luis Diaz offside decision.

The recording, made public after pressure from Liverpool, shows exactly how things went wrong in the VAR room as Darren England and Dan Cook failed to communicate to referee Simon Hooper that the Reds' number seven had scored a perfectly legitimate goal.

Prior to releasing the audio, the PGMOL acknowledged the error publicly, while refereeing chief Howard Webb reportedly also apologised to Liverpool. Meanwhile, England and Cook have not been selected for officiating duties in gameweek eight of the Premier League, following the blunder.

READ MORE: Fans react to released audio of Luis Diaz offside VAR decision 

Liverpool's statement on Monday claimed the club will 'explore the range of options available, given the clear need for escalation and resolution', while the audio has only provoked more ire from some fans over the failures that occurred.

While the club's statement didn't call for a replay of the 2-1 defeat, it has been suggested as the only form of justice by some of the more extreme factions online – with (as is often the case) petitions even popping up demanding a do-over.

Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp has revealed he thinks the match should be replayed because of the error.

It categorically won't happen though.

Why won't Tottenham vs Liverpool be replayed

Firstly, because no-one at Liverpool is calling for it – despite Klopp's words.

The club do not accept the PGMOL’s explanation of 'significant human error' to be adequate and what the Reds actually want from all this is, as Melissa Reddy writes on Sky Sports: "a transparent and thorough investigation into the procedural failings" relating to the incident.

The Athletic also claims that after speaking to 'a number of senior figures at the club' Liverpool fully accept the outcome of the game and are not calling for a replay.

Secondly, it would be next to impossible to make a legal case for a replay.

The Mirror report that, under particular circumstances, the Premier League does have the power to sanction the replaying of fixtures when rules are found to have been breached. However, making it happen is extremely difficult for many reasons – not least because we may only know the true impact of the decision on Liverpool's season until next spring.

The report quotes sports lawyer Stephen Taylor Heath, who says: "It would be very difficult for Liverpool to establish that the error itself cost them points in a legal sense given the infinite scenarios that could have arisen had the goal stood – for example, it is not the same as a horse race where the error is as to the winner at the end of a race.

"It is also worth noting that Liverpool can only really assess the potential impact of this decision come the end of the season."

The reality is that Jurgen Klopp and his team will have to wait until 4 May when Spurs are scheduled to visit Anfield in the return Premier League fixture for a chance at some form of revenge/catharsis on the pitch.

READ MORE: Luis Diaz VAR farce isn't just about Liverpool – it's about the game itself

Meanwhile, a proper review of what happened is important in order to understand what went wrong and prevent it from happening again.

As Paul Macdonald writes for Anfield Watch: "This isn’t about Liverpool, or even about referees, it’s about the entire culture of football itself, from the fans, to the players, to the referees, to the results. It’s all interlinked. And it’s time for a reckoning."