Liverpool suffered a heart-breaking defeat against Toulouse in their Europa League campaign as Jarell Quansah’s stoppage-time equalizer was disallowed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) due to Alexis Mac Allister’s accidental handball in the build-up.
The referee, Georgi Kabakov, consulted the pitchside monitor before ruling out the goal, which could have earned Liverpool a point in the match.
Despite the loss, Liverpool had a chance to make a late comeback after substitute Diogo Jota scored a goal in the 89th minute, replacing Luis Diaz, whose father had just been released by kidnappers in Colombia.
However, Toulouse’s substitute Frank Magri’s 76th-minute goal proved to be the winner after Cristian Casseres’ own goal had halved the French side’s lead following strikes by Aron Donnum and Thijs Dallinga.
The defeat for Group E leaders Liverpool meant that they missed out on the win that could have qualified them for the last 16 as group winners, with Toulouse moving two points behind them.
The decision to disallow Quansah’s late equalizer for Liverpool seemed harsh and may have been incorrect.
Although Alexis Mac Allister accidentally controlled the ball with his arm, which was close to his body, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) laws state that accidental handball that leads to a teammate scoring a goal or having a goal-scoring opportunity will no longer be considered an offence.
It is evident that Mac Allister didn’t intend to control the ball with his arm, and several players touched the ball before Quansah finished.
