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Sky Sports.
Dominik Szoboszlai was given a controversial red card in Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat by Man City in the Premier League.
Dermot Gallagher explained that referee Craig Pawson ‘retained all options’ and could have allowed Dominik Szoboszlai to stay on the pitch in Liverpool’s loss to Manchester City.
The Reds’ 2-1 loss was compounded by losing their best player this season in the dying embers. Szoboszlai, who had given Liverpool the lead with a sublime 30-yard free-kick, was issued a red card following a VAR review.
City’s Rayan Cherki thought he had scored when he found the net from his own half, with Reds goalkeeper Alisson Becker up to try to help rescue an equaliser. However, the goal was chalked off as Szoboszlai tugged back the shirt of Erling Haaland before the City man committed a foul on his opponent.
The reason why VAR intervened was because Haaland might have prevented Szoboszlai from denying the goal. On-field referee Pawson went sent to the pitchside monitor and awarded City a direct free-kick while Szoboszlai was sent-off. He must serve a one-match suspension so will miss Liverpool’s trip to Sunderland on Wednesday.
Reviewing the incident, former Premier League referee Gallagher said on talkSPORT: “I have to say lots of people will say give the goal, it keeps it 11v11. There is no doubt that Szoboszlai is fouled and by Haaland fouling him, he'll say it stopped him clearing the ball off the line.
“The only reason Szoboszlai gets that foul is because he holds Haaland, that;s the first foul. I think Craig has played to play advantage. He can always bring that back if it goes wrong. He can't play advantage for a foul on Szoboszlai. If the ball goes in the net, it's terminated. If you look, the ball is not in the net when he pulls Szoboszlai back. The on-field decision was a goal. All I can presume is that he hasn't picked up the foul on Szoboszlai.
“Don't forget when Craig goes to that screen, he retains all options. He can give a goal, he can give a foul to Szoboszlai, he can give a foul and a red card against Szoboszlai, which he did. If he sees the ball over the line, it's cut and dry for him because he can go: ‘Right, I've got a decision because I can give a goal'.
“He would have been able to give a goal, Man City would have been 3-1 up and Liverpool wouldn't have lost a player for the next game. I can't see that Craig has not seen that ball is over the line because the decision is easy.”
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