Referee David Coote explains why he made controversial offside call in Liverpool's win over Wolves

Coote admits he made a mistake in disallowing Wolves goal but says he was following the letter of the law

Premier League referee David Coote has admitted that he made a mistake in disallowing a Wolves goal in their 1-0 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.

VAR intervened to rule out Hee-chan Hwang's finish for offside in the second half, with replays showing that the South Korean forward was level with Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold when the ball was played. However, Coote confirmed that he disallowed the goal because Hwang had strayed offside in the build-up to the move, which is in accordance with the letter of the law.

In a statement released on Monday, Coote said: "I have reviewed the incident in the Liverpool v Wolves match on Sunday and I can see that I made a mistake in disallowing the Wolves goal. I applied the offside law correctly, but I should have used my common sense and allowed the goal to stand. I apologize for my mistake and I will learn from this experience."

The decision to disallow the goal was widely criticized by pundits and fans, with many arguing that it was a harsh and unfair decision. However, Coote has defended his decision, saying that he was following the letter of the law.

"I understand that some people will disagree with my decision, but I was applying the offside law as it is written," Coote said. "I know that it can be frustrating for fans when a goal is disallowed, but I hope that they can understand that I was only trying to do my job.

"I am always looking to learn and improve as a referee, and I will take this experience into account in future matches. I am committed to making the right decisions on the pitch, and I will continue to work hard to improve my performance."