In a surprising turn of events, football legend and pundit Alan Shearer made a significant error during the first episode of the revamped Match of the Day. The former England captain mistakenly blamed Milos Kerkez for Bournemouth's opening goal against Liverpool, despite Kerkez not being on the pitch at that time.
Liverpool emerged victorious with a 4-2 win in their Premier League opener against Bournemouth. However, it was Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth who stole the show with his exceptional performance in defeat. The Ghanaian player scored twice for his team to level up to 2-2 before Liverpool rallied back to secure their victory.
Shearer, while analysing Semenyo's first goal, placed much blame on former Bournemouth defender and recent Liverpool signing Kerkez. This accusation came despite Kerkez having been substituted off five minutes before Semenyo scored. During his analysis alongside Mark Chapman and Wayne Rooney, Shearer pointed out.
Alan Shearer, BBC football pundit, said:
"There's Kerkez there, he's on the way to attack when they haven't even got possession, which means he's five or six yards out of position."
Adding fuel to fire was an erroneous MOTD graphic that labelled Kerkez as responsible for allowing the goal when it was actually Andy Robertson - Kerkez’s replacement at left-back - who was playing at that time.
Shearer’s gaffe came at wrong time
The blunder did not go unnoticed by viewers who took to social media platforms to comment on Shearer's misplaced blame. Many fans expressed surprise over such an oversight from an experienced pundit like him.
This incident marked one among several changes as Match of The Day unveiled its new look without Gary Lineker leading proceedings. Chapman has taken over hosting duties from Lineker while Wayne Rooney has begun his £800k-a-year punditry role alongside him.
While this gaffe may have been a minor hiccup in the grand scheme of things, it serves as a reminder that even seasoned professionals can make mistakes. As Match of the Day moves forward with its new look and team, fans will be hoping for more accurate analysis in future episodes.
