In EPL news, Diaz's goal for Liverpool at Tottenham was incorrectly disallowed due to "significant human error", PGMOL has admitted.

At 0-0 and with the Reds a man down, Diaz's goal was ruled out by an unusually quick VAR decision in which the customary offside line graphic was not shown.

"PGMOL acknowledge a significant human error occurred," the statement read.

"PGMOL will conduct a full review."

"The goal by Luiz Diaz was disallowed for offside by the on-field team of match officials. This was a clear and obvious factual error and should have resulted in the goal being awarded through VAR intervention, however, the VAR failed to intervene.

The Reds also had Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota sent off, and lost to a stoppage-time Joel Matip own goal after resolutely keeping Spurs out.

In EPL news, Speaking after the match, Jurgen Klopp said his side's defeat came in "the most unfair circumstances" with "crazy decisions".

"That is not offside when you see it," he told Sky Sports.

"The ball is between Mo 's legs, they drew the line wrong and didn't judge the moment when Mo passed the ball right."

Klopp said the statement "doesn't help" and referenced the apology Wolves received for the decision not to award a penalty at Manchester United earlier in the season.

"I don't think we should talk too much about that because it doesn't help at all," said Klopp.

"Wolves got a similar statement, or apology. They didn't get a point out of United and we won't get a point today so it doesn't help.

"I am pretty sure no one is making mistakes on purpose but it still happened and at this moment I don't know why. scored a fantastic goal - would it have changed the game? I don't know. But probably, because goals help."

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said he is "losing faith" in VAR after the referees' incorrect decision to disallow Diaz's goal without any intervention from Stockley Park.

"I'm losing faith, is difficult to say," he said.

"The VAR should be absolutely clear and obvious with everything they're deciding on. I've seen the still back - on live TV there were no lines being shown. It's all a bit strange, I don't know who was in the VAR room and making that decision. It's not a good thing, it doesn't look well either. It is what it is, we lost."

In other EPL news, Gary Neville told Sky Sports the decision was "horrendous" and said it was "clear for everyone" to see that Diaz was onside.

"That is unbelievable! It is very significant. I have defended VAR and offsides being a matter of fact, but there have been a few which I thought were wrong in recent weeks," the former Manchester United defender said.

"It was all too quick. That is a horrendous one. It is clearly onside, clear for everyone. Something hasn't been right the last few weeks. They are picking the wrong cameras to draw the lines on. It is weird."

Jamie Redknapp added: "Everyone will agree, this is onside and makes you wonder how many other decisions they got wrong. It looks like they got that wrong by a yard. It is not a good look. For me they got that so badly wrong. We are making things so complicated."

Mohammed Salah once again proved why he is one of the greatest wingers of his generation scoring 2 goals to give Liverpool the much-needed win against Kieran Mckenna's Southampton.

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First Half

Liverpool dominated possession early in the match, but it was Southampton who threatened to open the scoring first as Mateus Fernandes tested Kelleher’s reactions from distance.

Dominik Szoboszlai gave Liverpool the lead with a superb strike in the 30th minute, but Southampton equalized before halftime through Adam Armstrong, who provided a deft finish in the 42nd minute.

The visitors kept on piling the pressure but Southampton was resolute in defending and getting back into shape as quickly as possible which made it difficult to break them down. this kept the scores tied heading into the break.

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Second Half

The Saints pulled ahead early in the second half when Mateus Fernandes scored in the 56th minute, capitalizing on Armstrong’s assist. However, Liverpool responded with intensity, as Mohamed Salah leveled the match in the 65th minute after a clever setup by Ryan Gravenberch.

Salah sealed the win with a calmly taken penalty in the 83rd minute, completing his brace and securing all three points for the visitors.

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Southampton fought hard, with Fernandes and Armstrong among their standout performers, but Liverpool's attacking quality proved decisive. The Reds' resilience kept them in contention in the Premier League title race.

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Final Score

Liverpool- 3 (Szoboszlai 30', Mohammed Salah 65', 83')

Southampton- 2 (Armstrong 42', Fernandez 56')

Players who earn a place in the starting eleven crash into the headlines mostly, but those who come off the bench are never insignificant. Depending on the situation and for various other tactical and strategic moves, substitute players can make huge differences when things start getting tough on the pitch. 

Sportzpoint explores the greatest substitutions that changed the football history and remained folkloric.

Mario Gotze

(Germany vs Argentina, FIFA World Cup Final 2014)

Mario Gotze lived the dream of every footballer back in 2014 when he scored the only goal against Argentina in the Final to take Germany to their fourth World Cup glory. 

What a goal to win it! 🤯 🇩🇪 @MarioGoetze, #OnThisDay in 2014 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ #FIFAWorldCup | @DFB_Team pic.twitter.com/gluKvx1o8v

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 13, 2022

Gotze came off the bench replacing the legendary Miroslav Klose, only two minutes before the full-time whistle but the game ended goalless. However, in the 113 minute of AET, Gotze received Schurrle's pass on the left and from a close range to the goal; and his left-footed strike fooled Argentina keeper Romero to end up in the goal. 

Argentina could not bounce back from this late setback and Germany lifted the World Cup 2014. Mario Gotze's substitution remained one of the most impactful in the history of football. 

Gareth Bale

(Real Madrid vs Liverpool, UCL Final 2017-18)

Gareth Bale admitted in an interview with FourFourTwo that he was very frustrated after not getting a start for Real Madrid in the 2017-18 UCL Final against Liverpool. However, Bale's fallout with Real Madrid's then-manager Zinedine Zidane led us to experience one of the greatest substitutions in the Champions League's history.

After a goalless first half, Karim Benzema opened the scoring in the 51st minute; but Sadio Mane only took 4 minutes to equalize for Liverpool. In the 61st minute, Bale replaced Isco but who would have thought that the Welshman was going to rewrite history and all by himself? 

#GoalOfTheDay | Gareth Bale vs Liverpool (2018) pic.twitter.com/B4dA2c4FV2

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) March 19, 2023

Only 3 minutes after Bale came on, Marcelo's cross found him in the box and Bale produced an acrobatic overhead volley, and the ball ended up in the net. Bale sealed the victory for Madrid in the 83rd minute with a rocketed strike which made Liverpool keeper Karius fumble and the ball went inside. Coming off the bench, Gareth Bale scored this heroic brace to lead Real Madrid to win their third consecutive UCL title.

Eder

(Portugal vs France, EURO 2016 Final)

Eder became an overnight sensation after slotting a late strike to win Portugal the EURO 2016, their first-ever major trophy in history. 

France and Portugal both wasted opportunities in the full-time but things became very wrong for Portugal way before. In the 25th minute, the talisman Cristiano Ronaldo faced a rough challenge from Dimitri Payet, and he was subbed off injured. However, Eder came off the bench in the 79th minute of the Final but the 90-minute of play ended in a stalemate of a 0-0 scoreline.

🇵🇹🚀 7 years ago today: Portugal beat France 1-0 in the EURO 2016 final courtesy of this goal from Éder in extra-time! pic.twitter.com/vsNwduJugw

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) July 10, 2023

But it was Eder, who only played 13 minutes in the tournament, stepped up and broke the deadlock to score the only goal in the final in the 109th minute. France could not produce a comeback as Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo lifted their first-ever major international trophy.

Ilkay Gundogan

(Manchester City vs Aston Villa, 2021-22 Premier League)

It was a neck-to-neck battle between Manchester City and Liverpool in the 2021-22 Premier League title race. Before heading into the last matchday on 22 May 2022, Manchester City was atop the table with 90 points in 37 matches and Liverpool was positioned just behind with 89 points in the same number of games.

Manchester City was set to face Aston Villa in the last match of the season and a win would ensure their fourth consecutive PL title. However, things did not go as planned for Pep Guardiola's men as Matty Cash scored for Villa in the 37th minute, and Philippe Coutinho extended the lead in the 69th minute. Coincidentally, Ilkay Gundogan replaced Bernardo Silva just one minute before Villa's second goal. Man City's title contender Liverpool was playing Wolves at the same time and they were held to a 1-1 draw after 70 minutes.

Run it back. ⏪@IlkayGuendogan's return to @ManCity has got us thinking about his iconic super-sub performance to help win the 2021/22 title 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/ENkxMiRUnQ

— Premier League (@premierleague) August 23, 2024

What happened afterward will always be written in golden words in the Premier League's history. It was Ilkay Gundogan who scored City's first goal in the 76th minute as his powerful header went in. Just two minutes later, Rodri placed a powerful strike to level the scoreline by 2-2 and City was back on top of the table.

𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴 🏆 @ManCity pic.twitter.com/DSU9p1cmcO

— Premier League India (@PLforIndia) May 29, 2022

It did not take much time for Gundogan to score his second and City's third as he put the ball inside with a close-range tap-in to almost win the league for City! The match eventually ended as City won the game by 3-2 and clinched their fourth consecutive PL title, all thanks to the German's magic after coming off the bench. 

Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 

(Manchester United vs Bayern Munich, 1998-99 UCL Final)

The world witnessed one of the greatest UCL finals ever on 27 May 1999 when Manchester United and Bayern Munich faced off for the coveted glory. Manchester United won the game by 2-1 in such an otherworldly manner that it still mesmerizes the next generation, and everything happened because of two substitute players, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. 

Bayern Munich took an early by scoring in the 6th minute of the match. Manchester United could not break the deadlock and headed into the break trailing 0-1. Teddy Sheringham replaced Jesper Blomqvist in the 67th minute and Solskjaer was brought in by Sir Alex Ferguson to replace Andy Cole in the 81st minute. 

On this day in 1999, Manchester United completed the historic treble after scoring two injury time goals to beat Bayern Munich! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/odhsJL5BqG

— SPORTbible (@sportbible) May 26, 2021

The game was in favour of Bayern even after 90 minutes but Sheringham slotted the ball home in just one minute into the injury time to equalize for the Red Devils. Solskjaer achieved the final glory with a simple tap-in only after two minutes, and thus the two substitutes led United to the Champions League victory.

A Premier League footballer is reportedly under investigation by Police over multiple serious sexual offences. The footballer, reportedly in his 30s, was interrogated by Police officers at a local police station last Thursday regarding the convictions.

According to Daily Star, A Police spokesperson confirmed that the Metropolitan officers are investigating the player over some reports of alleged rapes of two women and a sexual offence to a third woman between 2021 and 2023. The convicted was arrested in July 2022 at a location in west London but continued to play for his club. The Spokesperson further added:

"The investigation remains ongoing and detectives are continuing with in-depth and detailed enquiries. Those who have come forward to police continue to receive support from Met officers."

Premier League faces another uneasy backlash after accusations of prioritizing commercial interests over the serious allegations that sparked in September 2023.

According to BBC, their investigation has led to a discovery that 7 out of 20 Premier League clubs have had players or bosses investigated by the police for sexual offences since 2020.

The said player in his 30s was reportedly detained by Police in July 2022 over accusation of an alleged rape in June 2022. He was further convicted of two incidents in April 2021 and June 2021 but no action was taken regarding those allegations.

However, the player was again arrested by Police in February 2023 in connection with an incident that reportedly happened in West London in February 2022. The identity of the accused footballer remains undisclosed till now. 

Recent accusations against PL players

Premier League and the FA face another uncomfortable accusation of letting players feature for the clubs who are accused of serious allegations. The most recent incident included the former Manchester United youngster Mason Greenwood was accused of sexual assault by his girlfriend in January 2022.

Manchester United’s Mason Greenwood has been arrested on suspicion of rape and assault, per @TheAthleticUK pic.twitter.com/ZuKQnnbHiN

— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 30, 2022

Greenwood was dropped from the squad and faced uncertainty about his future at Old Trafford. However, Greenwood was soon released on bail, and he was cleared of all charges after further proceedings. Although Manchester United confirmed that the player was released from his duties.

Another incident that happened in 2021, including former Manchester City player Benjamin Mendy, raised severe controversies as the French defender was accused of assaulting a woman in 2021. Following the allegations, Manchester City confirmed that the club will not renew his contract which was supposed to end in June 2023. 

Benjamin Mendy wept today as he was cleared of raping a woman at his mansion following a retrial.

[The Sun] pic.twitter.com/8GiMBRwsj5

— City Chief (@City_Chief) July 14, 2023

Mendy was arrested and the proceedings of the allegations against Mendy started in August 2022. He was convicted of eight rapes, one attempted rape, and a sexual offence. However, he was cleared of two charges in January 2023 and was found not guilty of the others in July 2023. 

Liverpool enters this match in great form, currently at the top of the Premier League table following a last-minute victory over Brighton. Meanwhile, Leverkusen has experienced mixed results, yet they remain a strong and challenging opponent.

For Xabi Alonso, tonight marks a return to a stadium filled with cherished memories from his playing days, where he set records and achieved milestones. Nostalgia will undoubtedly be in the air.

From possible starting XIs to Fantasy predictions, here is everything you need to know about the League match of Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League 2024-25.

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Match Details 

Match: Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen

Date:  5, November 2024

Time: 02:30 AM IST

Venue: Anfield, Liverpool, England.

How to watch the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 League Match between Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen

The match will be streamed Live on the Sony Liv app and website. Viewers can also watch the game live on TV on Sony Sports Network.

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Team News 

Liverpool

MD-1 💫 pic.twitter.com/PPB5sxiKXv

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) November 4, 2024

The Merseyside club is enjoying one of their strongest runs this season, with just one loss in the English Premier League. They have also advanced to the League Cup quarter-finals after a solid victory over Brighton.

In the Champions League, Liverpool has won all three of their matches so far and currently sits second in the standings, trailing Aston Villa only on goal difference.

However, Arne Slot will be without experienced goalkeeper Alisson, who remains sidelined due to injury, along with Harvey Elliott, Diogo Jota, and Chiesa. French defender Konate is also a doubt, and his availability for the match remains uncertain.

Bayer Leverkusen

It is safe to say that Liverpool has the upper hand in the fixture considering the current form and previous encounters between the sides.

Possible Playing XI

Liverpool

Caoimhin Kelleher (GK); Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Virgil Van Dijk, Andy Robertson; Curtis Jones, Alexis Mac Allister; Mohammed Salah, Gravenberch, Luis Diaz; Darwin Nunez.

Bayer Leverkusen

Lucas Hradecky (GK); Hincapie, Jonathan Tah, Edmond Tapsoba, Grimaldo, Andrich, Xhaka, Frimpong, Wirtz, Hofmann, Boniface

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Fantasy XI Prediction

Hradecky, Trent Alexander Arnold, Jonathan Tah, Virgil Van Dijk, Grimaldo, Xhaka, Gravenberch, Salah, Wirtz, Nunez

In a decisive move to protect fair access for supporters, Liverpool FC has issued lifetime bans to 75 fans involved in ticket-touting. This action proves the club’s commitment to cracking down on illicit ticket resales, which often inflate prices and deny loyal fans the chance to attend matches.

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The current situation

This decisive action follows the revocation of over 1,500 tickets and an ongoing investigation into more than 5,000 accounts. It also reflects the league-wide caution issued to supporters of all 20 Premier League clubs at the start of the 2024-25 season, highlighting the growing risk of ticket scams.

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Efforts Made to reduce ticket touting in the club

Demonstrating a strong stance against ticket touting, Liverpool has stepped up with cutting-edge anti-touting tactics this season, combining sophisticated online tools and enhanced in-person surveillance.

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As part of this initiative, the club has blocked close to 100,000 fraudulent accounts and intensified its efforts to counteract digital fraud and online ticket scams. To further protect fans, Liverpool is reiterating the importance of purchasing tickets exclusively from official sources, helping supporters steer clear of counterfeit scams.

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Liverpool's commitment to their fans

To better assist fans in obtaining authentic tickets, Liverpool launched a new ballot system ahead of the 2023-24 season, focusing specifically on local general sales and Members’ sales. This initiative aimed to create a fairer ticket allocation process, especially for local supporters eager to experience matches at Anfield.