Arne Slot said he hates the rule that allowed Diogo Jota’s winner in the Merseyside derby to stand as Liverpool restored their 12-point lead at the Premier League summit with a hard-fought victory over Everton.
David Moyes, the Everton manager, claimed that Jota’s 57th‑minute strike should have been disallowed for an offside against Luis Díaz in the buildup. Díaz came from an offside position to regain possession from a James Tarkowski attempted clearance to set up Jota for the winner. According to the rulebook, however, the Colombian had to be “clearly attempting to play a ball which is close when this action impacts on an opponent” to be adjudged offside. He did not.
While grateful for the decision, the Liverpool head coach admitted the rule is counterproductive. Slot said: “Do I like the rule? No, I don’t like the rule. It’s a rule that is not helping the team that wants to attack. Normally we go to the halfway line, they [the opposition] kick the ball long to a player who is in an offside position, and my centre-backs feel like they have to head the ball away.
“I always ask the linesman: ‘Was he offside?’ And they say: ‘No, he was not interfering.’ I hate that rule. But the execution of the rule was fortunately for us today, well done in that situation.”
Moyes insisted Liverpool’s winner should have been disallowed. The Everton manager said: “Liverpool were the better team, no complaints with that. We had some opportunities and we did a great job, we were resilient. But it is disappointing to lose to a goal that is clearly offside. It is quite an easy one to give.”
Moyes conceded that Tarkowski was lucky to avoid an 11th-minute red card for a dangerous challenge on Alexis Mac Allister. The Everton captain was only booked. “I thought at the time it was a brilliant tackle,” the Everton manager said. “But since I have seen it again, we could have been lucky we didn’t get a red. It was a high one. I think it was the follow through that looked worse.”
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Slot felt no need to add his opinion to the Tarkowski challenge. He said: “I don’t want to comment about that situation because so many people have already commented on it. Even people that don’t like Liverpool were clear and obvious what the decision should have been that there’s no need for me to comment on that. Was I surprised [he wasn’t sent off]? No.”
