‘Totally wrong’ – Alan Shearer blasts referee decision behind Liverpool winner that left Nottingham Forest fuming
Alan Shearer has expressed strong criticism towards Premier League officials for a crucial decision that he deemed ‘totally wrong’ just moments before Liverpool’s dramatic winner against Nottingham Forest.
In the 99th minute of the match, Darwin Nunez headed in the decisive goal, securing another remarkable late victory for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool. However, controversy marred the lead-up to the goal. Referee Paul Tierney halted play in the 96th minute when Ibrahima Konate sustained a head injury in Liverpool’s box during a Forest corner.
During the stoppage, Callum Hudson-Odoi possessed the ball, but upon play resumption, the ball was returned to Liverpool’s goalkeeper, Caoimhin Kelleher, for an uncontested drop ball. Liverpool subsequently cleared the ball upfield, and after sustained pressure, Nunez scored the late winner.
According to IFAB rules, Forest should have been awarded the drop ball after Konate’s injury, with Hudson-Odoi in possession. Former Premier League official Mark Clattenburg argued that Liverpool benefited from a mistake by referee Tierney.
Legendary Premier League figure Shearer joined the chorus of disapproval, emphasizing that the Liverpool goal ‘doesn’t happen’ if the correct decision had been made.
“He’s dropped a big clanger, Paul Tierney,” Shearer criticized on Match of the Day. “He’s got it totally wrong. It’s a corner to Forest late on, and Konate gets a head injury. He gets knocked down by his goalkeeper, Kelleher, and Paul Tierney doesn’t blow [straight away]; Hudson-Odoi has the ball, and then the referee blows because it’s a head injury. He blows when Forest have the ball.”
Shearer’s remarks underline the frustration among fans and pundits alike regarding the contentious decision that potentially impacted the outcome of the match.
