Liverpool match-winner Christian Benteke brings into question the new offside rule

Christian Benteke celebrating his controversial winner

CHRISTIAN BENTEKE netted a controversial winner on his home debut for Liverpool last night.

 

Newly-promoted Bournemouth were left fuming when referee Craig Pawson and his assistant inexplicably failed to spot that Philippe Coutinho was offside.

Under the new directive, a player in an offside position who attempts to play the ball is no longer deemed as "passive" and has to be penalised.

 

Christian Benteke diverting his questionable winner into the goal

 

But Benteke's goal from Jordan Henderson's cross was allowed, provoking outrage from Sky pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher.

Neville said: "They cock about with the offside rule every year and I don't think they make it better. How the linesman could not give that as offside? It's the most ridiculous offside decision I've seen. It's madness."

Former Liverpool defender Carragher said: "The new offside rules, whatever you want to call them, it's offside. Liverpool are lucky to score there."

 

Benteke's winner compounded Bournemouth's frustration after skipper Tommy Elphick had a perfectly good fifth-minute 'goal' disallowed by Pawson for a push on Dejan Lovren -- replays showed the Cherries skipper had barely touched the Liverpool defender.

The result gave Liverpool maximum points from their first two games but left the cherries pointless and without a goal to their Premier League account.