Confusion. Confusion on the pitch and confusion off the pitch. A lot of modern football, especially as practised by managers like Jürgen Klopp and Roberto De Zerbi, seems to be about, if not controlling confusion, then at least directing it, pushing the confusion into the right areas. But a lot of modern football also involves people staring at screens and realising laws that once seemed to resonate with the rectitude of the ages are slippery and ambiguous.
Would Liverpool be affected by the VAR controversy of last week? Would their fury and sense of disillusionment curdle into something self‑destructive? Might it even galvanise them? The truth is it barely seemed to make a difference at all. This was Liverpool as they have been for most of the season, a blend of brilliance and vulnerability that makes them look at times like a title contender while the sense lingers that this cannot be sustained.
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