Manchester City’s crucial 2-1 victory over Liverpool ended in bizarre scenes at Anfield as Dominik Szoboszlai was sent off for denying a goalscoring opportunity – despite City scoring a goal from that opportunity.
Szoboszlai had earlier scored a stunning free-kick to give Liverpool the lead, before Bernardo Silva poached an equaliser and Erling Haaland converted a late penalty to give City the advantage in added time.
Rayan Cherki thought he had scored a bizarre late, late third to cap a wild game, shooting from the halfway line with Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker well out of his area – only for the goal to be ruled out after a VAR review, which led to Szoboszlai being sent off instead.
The Hungarian international had tussled with Haaland as Cherki’s shot rolled into the empty net, and although referee Craig Pawson was initially happy for the goal to stand, he later changed his decision to a free-kick and red card after consulting his pitch-side monitor.
Premier League officials later explained that they had no choice but to rule out the goal, because Haaland’s foul on Szoboszlai effectively cancelled out the advantage played after Szoboszlai’s initial foul and meant the game had to be stopped before the ball crossed the line.
Pawson explained to the Anfield crowd: “After review, there is a careless foul by Erling Haaland on the shirt of Dominik Szoboszlai. Prior to that, Szoboszlai commits a holding offence that denies an obvious goalscoring opportunity. The final decision is a direct free-kick to Manchester City and a red card.”
Speaking on Sky Sports, co-commentator Gary Neville said the officials should have ignored the rules and allowed the goal.
“That feels so unjust,” Neville said. “I know there’s rules but there’s a smell of the game, that’s completely gone. There is no football person that would disallow that goal. Talk about killjoy ... You have just killed one of the great moments of the season.”
Haaland was himself perplexed by the decision, saying: “For me, the referee has to follow the rules, but in the end I feel bad for him [Szoboszlai]. He gets three games [it is actually a one-match ban for denying a goalscoring opportunity]. Just give the goal. But it’s just how it is.”
Liverpool manager Arne Slot played down the incident, saying: “That is not what we should talk about. Maybe [Szoboszlai] should have left it for a goal as it is, but if that is the rule, that is what we have to accept.”
City remain six points behind league leaders Arsenal, while Liverpool have dropped off the pace in the race for the Champions League places, currently sitting four points behind fifth-placed Chelsea.
Szoboszlai will now miss Liverpool’s midweek trip to Sunderland.
