Following another weekend of offside controversies, including Luis Diaz’s goal against Spurs that was wrongly disallowed, the Professional Game Match Official (PGMOL) and the Premier League relented and released the audio of the incident on the VAR hub.

It was clear that Diaz was onside when he put Liverpool ahead in the 34th minute, however Simon Hooper blew the whistle for offside and a video assistant referee (VAR) was called in to review the footage.

Darren England and his colleagues at the hub then gave Hooper the famous last words ‘check complete’, meaning the goal was correctly ruled offside.

Then Hooper went back to play, just as everyone in the hub realises the huge and, ultimately, expensive mistake that has been made.

This footage sums up the problem with VAR since it was introduced in the Premier League in 2019-20; it’s two minutes of absolute chaos.

Dear oh dear, it’s at this point a joke, right?

You’re probably not going to laugh – which we totally get – but you’re going to cry, too.

There are serious questions to be asked about VAR’s effectiveness and, of course, the quality of refereeing in the UK from top to bottom.

But that’s not our point.

There’s no point.

Instead, let’s try and make the most of this bad situation.

Let’s celebrate the Twitter gods (or X if we have to) for their brilliance in reacting to this farce of a decision and the footage that came after.

It didn’t take long for a serious meme to crop up – literally – almost as soon as this footage went live.

Forget meme template – we’ve got a full meme package.

While referee Hooper, VAR England, and everyone else was busy trying to get pelters to pay for their mistakes, one unlikely hero stepped up to the plate. It’s your turn to shine, replay operator!

Babyface of the century. Step aside, John Cena.

Oli the replay operator knowing he was the only one who did his job pic.twitter.com/jDUHIKgIXh

— cmbftbl (@cmbftbl) October 3, 2023

Liverpool fans might not have gotten justice, but they certainly gained a legend.

Unfortunately, Mr Operator, you either die a hero or live long enough to become the villain.

There was no heroism for England, though. Oh *expletive* indeed, Daz.

Even so, we all emerged from the evening with a clearer understanding of what transpired, didn’t we?

Of course not.