Ex-Liverpool star claims rule should be scrapped after controversial Salah incident

Former Liverpool star Danny Murphy claimed a controversial rule that allowed Mohamed Salah to score against Wolverhampton Wanderers should be scrapped.

Jurgen Klopp’s side played out a topsy-turvy 2-2 draw against Wolves in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.

A rare Alisson Becker blunder gifted Wolves the opener, only for it to be cancelled out by a controlled Darwin Nunez volley on the cusp of halftime.

However, the second half descended into refereeing chaos, triggered by Salah’s 53rd-minute goal which give Liverpool the lead.

Liverpool debutant Cody Gakpo clipped a pass towards the Wolves box where Salah was standing in an offside position. However, Wolves Toti Gomes attempted to intercept the ball, only for his weak header to spin up rather than away.

Salah calmly plucked the looping ball out of the sky, turned and put Liverpool 2-1 ahead.

Why did Salah’s goal against Wolves count?

Though Salah was in an offside position when Gakpo played his pass, Toti’s fluffed clearance was deemed a deliberate attempt to play the ball.

In turn, the Portuguese centre-back started a new phase of play, making Salah onside.

In the official FA rulebook, Law 11 reads: "A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent who deliberately plays the ball, including by deliberate handball, is not considered to have gained an advantage unless it was a deliberate save by any opponent.

"A 'save' is when a player stops or attempts to stop a ball which is going into or very close to the goal with any part of the body except the hands/arms (unless the goalkeeper within the penalty area)."

Danny Murphy skewers rule that allowed Salah’s goal to count

Speaking on TalkSPORT Murphy, who played for Liverpool between 1997 and 2004, was deeply critical of the rule that allowed Salah’s goal to count.

Indeed, the 45-year-old called for changes to the laws of the game.

Murphy said: “I was delighted that the officials let Salah’s goal go because I don’t want Liverpool going out, of course.

“But that rule that they used or interpreted to say that Salah was onside has got to go.

“You can’t have defenders not allowed to try and intercept balls in case they touch it, and then the offside player gets it.

“What you’re then asking defenders to do is forget the habits of 20 years of growing up, playing football and trying to intercept and stop balls.

“Because the rule suggests that if you deliberately make an attempt to get the ball, and then it goes to a player who’s offside he’s then onside. But every attempt to defend is deliberate.”

Of course, Salah’s goal wasn’t the only moment of controversy in the game. Hwang Hee-chan equalised for the visitors before Toti had a winner chalked off in the game's closing stages. While the Wolves star looked onside on a second showing, the goal was not overturned by VAR.

Indeed it later transpired that VAR had no camera angle available to provide any evidence to overturn the decision. As a result, referee Andrew Madley was made to stick with his assistant’s initial offside call.

Topics: Football, Liverpool, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Mohamed Salah, FA

Chris Byfield

Sport journalist with experience writing on football, rugby, boxing and the Olympics. I'm also a Crystal Palace fan. Please don't hold this against me.