Liverpool told they have benefited from 'awful' video mistake after David Coote decision

Liverpool have been told they benefited from a VAR error in their Premier League win over Aston Villa at the weekend. The Reds moved five points clear at the top of the table with a 2-0 victory at Anfield on Saturday evening, a 15th win in 17 games in all competitions under Arne Slot.

Referee David Coote, who has subsequently been suspended after the emergence of a video in which he launches into a foul-mouth rant about Liverpool and their former boss Jurgen Klopp, had courted controversy in the build-up to the opening goal when he appeared to not be ready to award a free-kick and likely subsequent red card for Leon Bailey.

That was despite the Villa man denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity for Mohamed Salah seconds before Darwin Nunez went on to score.

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Villa, though, were furious they weren't awarded a penalty shortly before the hour when Conor Bradley's shirt-pull on Pau Torres at a free-kick wasn't deemed to have met the threshold for an offence.

Replays appeared to suggest Bradley was having his own shirt tugged on by Morgan Rogers.

But former FIFA referee Keith Hackett is adamant the VAR for the game, Paul Tierney, made a mistake in not asking Coote to consult his pitchside monitor.

“I disagree with this; it’s a clear penalty kick," said Hackett. "I’ve searched through the laws of the game on holding – this is holding.

“It’s impacted play, it’s an awful decision. I was really disappointed VAR didn’t come in and send Coote to the screen."

Speaking to Football Insider, Hackett added: “For me, Villa were clearly denied a penalty kick, no question.”