Premier League: 'Offside rules show Christian Benteke goal should not have stood'

The Premier League has claimed that the new interpretation of the offside rule means that Christian Benteke's goal for Liverpool against Bournemouth on Monday night should not have stood.

The Belgian's strike was all that separated the two sides at Anfield as Liverpool went away with all three points.

In the lead-up to the goal, Philippe Coutinho was in an offside position when the ball was played into the box, and under the new rules, because the Brazilian's movement impacted on goalkeeper Artur Boruc, the play should have been flagged.

In an attempt to clear up the confusion, the Premier League has written to every club to explain the new guidelines, which state that a player can be flagged offside even if they do not make contact with the ball.

A statement read: "The Premier League does not generally comment on decisions made by match officials. However, given the recent change to the interpretation of the offside law and the fact that it was made close to the start of the season, the league felt it was appropriate, in this instance, to publish in order to inform fans and other stakeholders."

On Thursday, Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe told Sports Mole that it would be helpful if referees explained their decisions after matches, but understands that it would be difficult to put into practice.