Liverpool fans left fuming as David Coote is appointed VAR for Leicester clash

David Coote is back on VAR duties for Liverpool this weekend, just a month after failing to send off Jordan Pickford for his shocking lunge on Virgil van Dijk in last month's Merseyside derby.

Coote was the video assistant referee who did not check for a red card for the Everton goalkeeper's challenge that left van Dijk needing season-ending surgery on a knee ligament injury after forgetting that the rules stated he could review the incident despite the offside in the build-up.

Sportsmail reported last month that Coote thought the offside — which he checked forensically — nullified what happened afterwards.

And his appointment for the visit of table-topping Leicester to Anfield this weekend has left Liverpool fans seething on social media.

One wrote: 'Is this some sort of sick joke?', while another mimicked Jose Mourinho's infamous phrase: 'If I speak, I'm in big trouble'.

One fan tweeted: 'I can't believe it. After the Everton match debacle I thought PL would know better', while another said: 'There is literally zero accountability for terrible decisions'.

Coote was subsequently dropped from refereeing or VAR duty for the following weekend's Premier League fixtures

It was the first round of fixtures this season in which Coote had not refereed or been the VAR.

He was instead the fourth official for West Ham against Manchester City. He returned as VAR for Arsenal's 3-0 home defeat by Aston Villa earlier this month before the international break.