The dust is still settling on Liverpool and Nottingham Forest’s thrilling 2-2 draw at Anfield, but social media remains ablaze over a chaotic sequence in the build-up to the visitors’ crucial second-goal sequence. Fans and pundits alike have spent the hours following the match dissecting whether Nottingham Forest’s penalty should have been disallowed entirely due to an alleged foul throw by summer signing Liam Delap.
The flashpoint occurred midway through the second half during an end-to-end encounter that ultimately saw goals from Dan Ndoye and Alexander Isak canceled out by late drama. With the score deadlocked, Forest won a throw-in deep in Liverpool territory. Liam Delap stepped up to hurl the ball into the box, sparking a chaotic scramble that ultimately ended with Neco Williams being brought down by Alisson Becker. Referee Samuel Barrott pointed straight to the spot, and Morgan Gibbs-White ruthlessly converted the penalty to restore Forest’s lead.
However, eagle-eyed supporters immediately flooded social media with complaints, arguing that the entire sequence should have been pulled back because Delap executed a foul throw. Slow-motion replays appeared to show the striker’s back foot lifting off the turf before he released the ball—a direct violation of IFAB Laws of the Game.
Frustrated fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice their outrage over the missed infringement. One supporter fumed, “The ball is still in his hands here and you can already see his foot off the ground. VAR missed it; Lino missed it; what’s the difference? The officials missed it because they were too busy reading the instructions on how to use the subs board. Incompetent.”
Another added, “0 point in having laws around the throw-in if they’re just going to be ignored. Look at Delap’s back foot.” A third chimed in, claiming, “Nobody is talking of this foul throw-in by Delap. Delap did a pirouette mid-throw to get the ball over the defender. 100% failure from VAR to correct a clear and obvious error.”
Former Premier League Referee Clears Up the Confusion
Despite the widespread uproar and accusations of officiating incompetence, it turns out that the match officials and the Video Assistant Referee acted strictly within the boundaries of the footballing protocol.
Offering clarity on the incident, former Premier League official-turned-journalist Graham Scott took to social media to explain why VAR could not intervene, while also casting doubt on whether a foul throw even occurred.
Scott wrote: “A lot of comments that the VAR should intervene because it’s a foul throw. He can’t – the VAR protocol does not allow it. In any event, it appears the thrower’s foot only comes off the ground after release, which would make the throw-in legal. Whether it’s a pen is another matter.”
Under strict VAR guidelines, the video review system is only permitted to analyze game-changing incidents directly leading up to a goal, such as goals, penalty decisions, direct red cards, and cases of mistaken identity. A throw-in during the wider build-up phase falls outside the scope of VAR intervention, meaning the on-field refereeing team’s judgment is final on such restarts. Furthermore, closer frame-by-frame analysis supported Scott’s assessment that Delap’s momentum only caused his foot to lift after the ball had already left his hands, rendering the throw entirely legal.
Iraola’s Fury Over Administrative Delays
While the throw-in debate dominated online forums, Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola had entirely different grievances following the final whistle. The Reds’ head coach was incandescent with rage over a separate administrative farce that he claims directly contributed to Forest’s penalty.
Iraola revealed that his team attempted to execute a triple substitution moments before the foul in the box occurred. However, a lengthy delay orchestrated by the fourth official—who appeared to struggle with the electronic substitution board—left Liverpool waiting nearly three minutes to make the changes while play continued.
”A professional fourth official cannot take three minutes,” a fuming Iraola told TNT Sports. “We’d already given him the subs two or three minutes before. I was already angry because in the previous stoppage we couldn’t make the subs, and then before throw-in I thought we could do it. I don’t know. They will have to explain it. But it has taken ages.”
Victor Munoz eventually spared Liverpool’s blushes with a brilliant equalizer eight minutes from time, ensuring a share of the spoils. But with the controversy surrounding Delap’s throw, the VAR protocols, and fourth official delays, the Anfield thriller will be talked about long after the teams return to action.
