Liverpool manager Arne Slot delivered a fierce assessment of the officiating at Anfield after his side suffered a painful late defeat to Manchester City, insisting that a key decision involving Marc Guehi should have resulted in a dismissal.
The Reds appeared on course for a vital victory before a chaotic finale turned the contest on its head and left the home dugout seething.
For long periods Liverpool had looked capable of holding off the Cityzens. With 16 minutes left, Dominik Szoboszlai ignited the stadium by hammering a powerful free-kick beyond the reach of the City goalkeeper.
The strike seemed to reward an energetic performance from Slot’s team, who had pressed aggressively and limited their opponents’ usual rhythm.
Yet City responded in the manner that has become familiar under pressure. Bernardo Silva drew the visitors level after a slick passing move, and deep into stoppage time Erling Haaland converted from the penalty spot to complete a remarkable comeback.
The emotional swing stunned the Anfield crowd and left Liverpool reflecting on a series of contentious moments.
There was further confusion when City believed they had added a third goal on the counter-attack.
With Liverpool keeper Alisson Becker up for a corner, the visitors broke clear and substitute Rayan Cherki calmly rolled the ball into an empty net from near the halfway line.
Referee Craig Pawson, however, ruled out the effort after an earlier infringement and moments later showed Szoboszlai a red card for pulling Haaland’s shirt as the pair chased a loose ball.
When questioned about the extraordinary sequence, Slot diverted attention to what he felt was a more significant error earlier in the match.
He argued that Guehi’s challenge on Mohamed Salah, which produced only a yellow card, was far more deserving of severe punishment.
“When you ask me about what decision, I thought what do you mean, the disallowed goal at City, the penalty they got in the away game against us, the clear red card on Mo Salah in the second half here, or the penalty they got in the second half, or do you mean this (Szoboszlai red card) decision?” said the Reds boss as reported by Liverpool Echo
“That’s only over two games, and the ones that follow Liverpool know how many decisions I can come up with in all the other games as well, all the big decisions that could have gone in some situation to a 50-50.”
Slot’s frustration reflected a growing belief among Liverpool supporters that pivotal calls have repeatedly gone against their side in high-profile encounters.
The Dutch coach accepted that Szoboszlai’s offence met the letter of the law, yet he struggled to understand why a similar incident involving Salah had been treated differently.
“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,” he explained.
“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.”
The Liverpool manager added that he could accept strict application of the regulations as long as they were applied consistently to both teams.
“I can live with the red card for Dom. If you like football you say, ‘ah, leave it as a goal, it’s good for 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.”
Debate over penalty decision intensifies
The controversy did not end with the sending-off. City’s winning goal arrived after Alisson rushed from his line and collided with Mateus Nunes, even though the Portuguese midfielder appeared to have pushed the ball out of play. Pawson pointed to the spot, a verdict that split opinion inside the stadium.
Slot admitted he might have appealed for the same decision had the roles been reversed, yet he questioned whether video review would have intervened if the referee had originally waved play on.
“If it would have happened on the other side I’d have asked for a penalty. If I would have got it, I’m not sure,” he said.
“There is contact, we can’t debate that, the ball is out of play, we can’t debate that, when he makes the foul he can’t get the ball anymore.”
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Even while acknowledging the grey areas around the challenge on Nunes, Slot repeatedly returned to the earlier incident involving Salah, which he regarded as the defining moment of the match.
“I would prefer to talk about the holding of Mo because that is so obvious that all the attention should go to that,” he continued.
“But this (penalty) is one where if the referee doesn’t give the penalty, and he’s waiting, waiting, waiting and listening to his linesman I think, then he gave it, then the VAR won’t interfere.”
“But what if he wouldn’t have given it? Would the VAR have intervened? That’s what we will never know.”
Slot’s closing remarks made clear where his anger was directed. “My main frustration is in the shirt-pull on Mo Salah at 0-0. Clear and open, one vs one on the goalkeeper.”
