That Was Not an Offside Goal for Bournemouth Today, and the Offside Line Appeared to Be Deliberately Altered: Gary Neville Presents Strong Evidence to Back His Claims

The Premier League is no stranger to controversial refereeing decisions, but Bournemouth’s disallowed goal against Liverpool has ignited a firestorm of debate. Former Manchester United captain and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has now weighed in, insisting that the offside ruling was incorrect and that the offside line used by VAR appeared to be manipulated.

Neville, who watched the entire match from his apartment, meticulously analyzed the footage and raised serious concerns about the integrity of the decision. He argued that Bournemouth’s goal should have stood and that the lines drawn by VAR did not accurately represent the positioning of the players at the moment the ball was played.

The controversy stems from a key moment in the match when Bournemouth found the back of the net, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. On closer inspection, Neville believes the attacking player was level with the last defender when the pass was made, making the call highly questionable.

Neville’s frustration echoes past incidents where VAR has come under scrutiny for inconsistencies in its decision-making process. He pointed out that this is not the first time VAR has been accused of applying offside lines in a questionable manner, leading to widespread distrust among fans and analysts.

“This is a disgrace,” Neville said in his post-match analysis. “Look at the lines—where they’ve been drawn. It doesn’t add up. Either they’ve manipulated it or made an error, but either way, this goal should have stood.”

The former England international went on to compare the incident to a similar controversy in August 2015, when Liverpool benefited from an incorrect offside call in a match against Bournemouth. On that occasion, Christian Benteke’s goal was allowed to stand despite Philippe Coutinho being offside and interfering with play.

“The problem is, we’ve seen this before,” Neville continued. “Liverpool fans won’t complain, but this is exactly the type of call that makes people lose faith in VAR. They change the rules, they change the interpretations, and every year we’re left with more confusion.”

Neville also criticized the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) for failing to provide clear explanations on VAR decisions. He demanded that referees be held accountable for such controversial calls and called for more transparency in how offside lines are drawn and interpreted.

Social media has erupted over the decision, with Bournemouth fans and neutral supporters alike questioning the accuracy of VAR’s ruling. Many pointed out that the technology, while introduced to eliminate human errors, has instead created more controversy than ever before.

The Premier League has seen several high-profile incidents where VAR’s offside calls have been debated. From Arsenal’s disallowed goal against Newcastle earlier in the season to last year’s controversy involving Luis Díaz’s wrongly disallowed strike for Liverpool, the inconsistencies remain a major issue.

Former referees have also weighed in on the incident, with some agreeing that the offside lines seemed unusually drawn. One former official suggested that the angle used for the decision may have distorted the true positioning of the players.

Neville, however, remained adamant that Bournemouth were unfairly denied a goal. “You just can’t have decisions like this at this level,” he said. “Teams are fighting for survival, for European places, for titles—one call like this can change everything.”

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola was visibly frustrated in his post-match interview but remained diplomatic in his response. “I have seen the footage, and it’s difficult to understand,” he said. “We have to trust the process, but we need consistency.”

Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, on the other hand, played down the controversy, insisting that the decision was correct. “I haven’t seen it back properly, but if VAR ruled it out, there must be a reason,” he said.

The debate surrounding VAR and offside technology is not going away anytime soon. With every contentious decision, calls for change grow louder, and many believe the Premier League needs to review its approach before the system loses all credibility.

As things stand, Bournemouth will feel hard done by, and Neville’s explosive analysis only adds fuel to the fire. Whether PGMOL responds to the growing outcry remains to be seen, but one thing is clear—football fans won’t forget this controversy anytime soon.