VAR Officials behind Liverpool error had officiated UAE match just 48 hours earlier

Officials Darren England and Dan Cook were reportedly involved in a UAE Pro League fixture just 48 hours before the controversial VAR error that denied Liverpool a legitimate goal against Tottenham. According to The Independent, England and Cook had travelled back from the United Arab Emirates after officiating Al Ain’s match against Sharjah before working at Tottenham’s 2-1 victory over Liverpool.

The pair were subsequently stood down from Premier League fixtures, following what refereeing body PGMOL described as a “significant human error”. Questions were raised over whether fatigue contributed to the failure to properly review Luis Diaz’s disallowed goal.