Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and match-winner Erling Haaland said they did not want to see Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai sent off in their 2-1 victory at Anfield.
Guardiola called for “common sense” after Liverpool goalscorer Szoboszlai was dismissed in the 103rd minute for denying City a goalscoring opportunity – even as the ball went into the goal.
Rayan Cherki had an injury-time strike disallowed after finding the net from the half-way line as Szoboszlai and Haaland chased the shot, with first the Hungarian fouling the Norwegian and then the City striker tugging back the Liverpool right-back, but with neither making contact with the ball.
Referee Craig Pawson initially gave the goal but was told by VAR to look at the incident on the monitor and came back and awarded a free kick and dismissed Szoboszlai.
It meant City, who thought they had gone 3-1 up, only won 2-1 and Szoboszlai will be suspended for Liverpool’s match away at Sunderland on Wednesday.
And Guardiola said: "Come on referee, give [the] goal and go home. It’s common sense. I know he pulls him, but how many pulls there are in a game that referees play on, play on, play on?”
And Haaland, a former teammate of Szoboszlai at Red Bull Salzburg, said: “Just give the goal, don't give a red card, simple as that.”
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot said he accepted the decision but was more annoyed that City defender Marc Guehi only shown a red card for tugging Mohamed Salah at 0-0.
He explained: “I can live with the fact, although I don’t like it, that the referee follows the rulebook and Dominik makes a foul on Haaland in that situation which is a clear shirt-pull and he was through on goal so he would have scored. That’s a red card.
“I think the Sunderland manager is really happy he gives a red card. If you follow the rulebook, and you have a clear shirt-pull by Guehi on Mo Salah, who for eight years has been scoring that ball 100 times out of 100 – a bit of an exaggeration – and it is not a red card, then there is more of my frustration.
“I can live with the red card for Dom. If you like football you say ‘ah, leave it as a goal, it’s good them and good for everyone’ but as the Sunderland manager you prefer to see it as a red card. That’s the rule and following the rules is all I ask.”
