Liverpool were at the centre of VAR controversy during their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday
Mohamed Salah and Arne Slot were left angered by refereeing decisions against Manchester City.
Mohamed Salah and Arne Slot were left angered by refereeing decisions against Manchester City.(Image: PA)
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Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher sympathised with Craig Pawson during Liverpool's 2-1 defeat to Manchester City as he defended the decision not to send off Marc Guehi.
The showdown wasn't without controversy as Dominik Szoboszlai was shown a straight red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity in the closing stages. Before that, Mohamed Salah was brought down in a similar incident but Guehi escaped with just a yellow card.
The Hungarian will miss the trip to Sunderland in midweek but the encounter was overshadowed by more video assistant referee (VAR) drama. In the closing stages, Szoboszlai was shown a red card for a pull on Erling Haaland as they raced towards Rayan Cherki's long-range effort, Haaland tripped the Liverpool midfielder as the ball crossed the line.
However, Pawson went to the monitor and ruled that the goal was disallowed, instructing that City received a free-kick on the edge of the box and brandished a red card for the 25-year-old.
The decision sparked bemusement from Pep Guardiola, while Gary Neville was left questioning the integrity of football. Sky Sports' Ref Watch dissected the key moments from the contest, but didn't go over the late penalty appeals from Liverpool that saw Federico Chiesa fouled.
Gallagher said: "Do you want your rant and I'll bring sanity back? It's really, really intriguing, watch the referee, he sees the foul and lets play continue but Szoboszlai gets fouled. The referee sees this one but he doesn't see this one (Haaland on Szoboszlai) because O'Reilly blocks his path.
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"Without doubt, Szoboszlai will argue he's been fouled, wants a free-kick, the VAR points out to the referee that he can't give a goal because it's a foul so he can go back to the original foul and the original foul stops Haaland having a goalscoring opportunity. It's a red card.
"He denied Haaland, didn't he? It was Cherki who shot, it wasn't Haaland, but he denies Haaland because he's on the run, he pulls him back.
"I feel for the referee in this situation, he arcs his run, O'Reilly gets in his way, if he saw the second foul and blows, the ball hasn't gone in the back of the net, they go back and send Haaland off, it's job done. The situation is, it ends up in the net, Szoboszlai is fouled, there's no doubt about that and you have to default back to the original."
Former Cardiff City striker Jay Bothroyd agreed and questioned whether Salah should have been stronger under the challenge from Guehi, accusing the Egyptian of going down too easily.
He said: "I completely agree, if you look at Salah as well, he could have been stronger and stayed on his feet. I think he thinks he was actually in the penalty area and that's why he went down easily.
"I think Dias would have come across. It's a possible goalscoring opportunity, not obvious.
"To be honest, knowing how Salah plays, I think he would have took a touch inside and finish it. I think it's the right outcome, it's not an obvious goalscoring opportunity."
Liverpool players argue against Man City.
Liverpool players argue over the decision not to send Marc Guehi off.(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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Earlier in the exchanges, before Szoboszlai's wondergoal to break the deadlock, Salah was played through before being held back by Guehi but the former Crystal Palace defender was cautioned.
Gallagher felt that the incident didn't meet the criteria for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity as he argued that Ruben Dias was covering and claiming that Salah was "happy" to receive the foul - as opposed to going on to score.
He added: "I think it's not obvious that's why it goes from a red to a yellow card, it's a foul, outside the penalty area. I think Mo Salah is quite happy to receive the foul, he goes down, Dias is coming across, he's very fast, I think it goes from obvious to possible and that's why a yellow had been awarded."
Bernardo Silva levelled the match after ghosting beyond the Liverpool defence to poke past Alisson Becker, 10 minutes after Liverpool broke the deadlock.
City were handed a golden opportunity to take the lead when the Brazilian careered out and clattered into Matheus Nunes on the edge of the box. Pawson pointed to the spot, and Haaland fired low to Alisson's right, despite the shot-stopper's best efforts.
Gallagher had no complaints surrounding the penalty decision for City as he questioned the Brazilian's for his role in the incident.
He said: "It's a foul, I don't even think he has to make this challenge because the ball will run away but it's a foul. The ball is in play when the foul is committed, the ball is in play when he's taken out."