Liverpool will be part of a major new VAR trial during the Carabao Cup semi-finals, with referees set to announce their decisions to fans inside the stadium.

The Reds face Tottenham in the final four of the competition in the New Year, with the first leg being played in north London on January 8 before the second leg at Anfield on February 6. Arsenal faces Newcastle in the other semi-final.

Both of those encounters will see referees trialling a new VAR system which will see the final decision of any moments under review being announced to the crowd inside the stadium, marking the first time any such announcements have been made in English domestic football.

READ MORE: Liverpool transfer news amid huge Martin Zubimendi boost as Luis Diaz 'attracted' by exit

READ MORE: Liverpool's Federico Chiesa sacrifice makes January transfer exit almost impossible

• Liverpool's top transfer target switches agents to put Arne Slot on red alert

• Matheus Cunha sends message to Liverpool cult hero amid January transfer speculation

Refereeing governing body PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) said the move was part of its “commitment to transparency” amid the hope that it will offer more clarity around key decisions.

In-game announcements are already common in other sports such as the NFL and rugby union, while the system was first trialled during the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

The Premier League said in a meeting last summer that VAR announcements would be introduced at some point this season, suggesting that the system could be implemented in the league after the Carabao Cup trial.

The Premier League Match Centre account on X already posts “near-live” explanations of VAR decisions, having been introduced at the start of the season. This will be the first time announcements have been given to the crowd in attendance in England though, with referees in preparations for the trial ahead of next month’s semi-finals.

In a statement, the EFL - which runs the Carabao Cup - said: "The new pilot embraces technological advancements for the benefit of match officials and fans.

"This latest pilot has the support of the EFL and follows earlier collaboration with PGMOL in 2018 to trial VAR in EFL competitions ahead of its introduction in the Premier League."

Liverpool.com says: It’s a step in the right direction, although it doesn’t really solve the big problem for supporters at the ground. Announcing the decision once it has been made doesn’t give them any insight into what the officials are looking at, or how they’ve come to the decision, which means fans inside stadiums are still going to be in the dark about what’s going on.

For the world’s biggest sport, improvements in the systems in place come far too slowly. This is a positive step, but it’s still not enough.