Gabriel Martinelli's opening goal for Arsenal against Liverpool was allowed to stand because of a VAR loophole

Arsenal benefited from a loophole to avoid VAR disallowing their opening goal against Liverpool for offside, with Gabriel Martinelli's first-minute goal able to stand as a result.

The problem arose because none of the five cameras had an angle to pick up both the England star and defender Ben White, who made the pass, at the same time.

That made it impossible to check if the 21-year-old had gone beyond the final defender when White played the ball, and so the officials had to stick with the on-field decision.

Only a camera on the halfway line could pick both players up, but that isn't one of the cameras that is used to pick up offsides, so no lines could have been drawn.

VAR referee Darren England did look at the other five angles but as he couldn't pick up both players he had to stick with the on-field decision.

It's a great example of why the on-pitch officials can't use the video system as a crutch in order to make a decision, in case the technology isn't working, or at least not properly.

The news will come as further annoyance to Jurgen Klopp and his team, after two other penalty decisions went against them, one they claimed for themselves and one that Arsenal got in their favour to help decide the game.

"We should have sorted it already four times before, kick the ball as far as you can, whatever, but we didn’t do that. And then I think if it’s a penalty, it’s a very, very soft one.

"Like the whole situation, when you see the contact, I don’t even know if there is really contact.

"When Gabriel Jesus is going down there is like a bit of a delay, so it was not 'bang' and straight down.

"But [the VAR] Mr England thought it was not worth sending the ref to the screen. We cannot change that.

"He saw that slightly differently in the first half when obviously Diogo [Jota] wanted to cross the ball – not the hardest cross obviously – and Gabriel’s hand was not in a natural position, I would say.

"So we cannot change that, we take it all, we know we should have played more especially in the second half but when it’s against a team like Arsenal in a moment where a lot of things are just going their way.

"The two massive injury blows for us at half-time, or before half-time, with Luis [Diaz] and Trent [Alexander-Arnold] as well. They were really tough – tough afternoon."