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For the first time in Premier League history, a referee's explanation of a disallowed goal to players on the field was broadcast live on television during a match. It was Florian Wirtz's ruled-out effort against Nottingham Forest that made this historic moment possible, much to Liverpool's disappointment.
Among the numerous changes introduced for this Premier League season was a broadening of what broadcasters are permitted to air. The league's clubs collectively agreed that conversations between match officials and players could be made available to viewers watching at home during live matches.
While this feature will be used selectively and underwent testing during the opening weekend of the season, the first game of the second Saturday provided audiences with a remarkable behind-the-scenes glimpse.
Why Florian Wirtz's 'Goal' for Liverpool vs. Nottingham Forest Was Disallowed
#LIVNFO – 32' VAR OVERTURN
VAR checked the referee's call of goal – and determined that Frimpong was in an offside position and recommended that the goal was disallowed. pic.twitter.com/UGO5U5gTtz
Having fallen behind against an impressive Nottingham Forest side, Liverpool appeared to have drawn level just past the half-hour mark through Wirtz.
The heavily scrutinized midfielder cleverly spun inside the penalty box before driving a shot into the bottom corner. However, as referee Sam Barrott would go on to explain to Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk, Jeremie Frimpong had been caught in an offside position prior to teeing up his teammate.
"It's going to be offside," the official informed Van Dijk, as revealed by TNT Sports during the halftime break, "and the reasoning why is that there's a deflection that comes off Florian Wirtz to Frimpong before he plays the ball forward."
Wirtz was denied a crucial goal, and a new precedent was established for in-game explanations going forward.
Premier League Learning From Past Mistakes
Van Dijk was not the sole recipient of Barrott's explanation. Forest captain Morgan Gibbs-White was also present alongside Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, with both players wearing puzzled looks as the exchange took place.
English football has a complicated history when it comes to broadcasting in-game audio. When the concept was first trialed back in 1989, Arsenal captain Tony Adams and his teammates drew widespread criticism for the profane language directed at match officials.
Today's Premier League broadcasters have evidently taken note of that lesson, swiftly cutting the audio once Barrott's explanation had wrapped up. This isn't necessarily a reflection of anything inappropriate said by Van Dijk or his fellow players, but it does highlight how even this level of transparency into the game's inner workings remains subject to editorial control.