Manchester United beat Liverpool 3-2 at Old Trafford and Reds boss Arne Slot was left baffled at the decision to allow Benjamin Sesko’s goal to stand in the first half
Benjamin Sesko
Arne Slot bemoaned the decision to allow Benjamin Sesko's goal(Image: Getty Images)
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Liverpool boss Arne Slot claims Benjamin Sesko’s controversial goal should have been disallowed - but believes his side were still to blame. The Slovenian striker scored to make it 2-0 for United after Matheus Cunha had given his side the lead.
VAR took a close look at the goal, with a replay appearing to show the ball had struck his leg and then brushed his hand before scoring. It was decided that there ‘was no conclusive evidence’ to suggest that the forward had handled the ball.
That call left Slot confused and he claimed the goal should have been chalked off as per the laws of the game. Speaking post-match, the Dutchman said: "If it was a touch, which I think it is because if you know a bit about ball sports, you know that if a ball has a certain curve and the curve changes, there must have been a contact.
"But if it's light then we should have a debate in football about whether that's enough to disallow a goal. But the rule is if there was a touch then it should have been disallowed.
"I don't think it's a surprise to anyone this season that if there's a VAR intervention or if there's something that could be left or could be right (50-50) then the decision goes against us.
"That has been the whole season every single time this season. I remember Paris Saint-Germain at home, getting a penalty for a soft touch on Mac Allister but of course the VAR intervenes and says no, no, no, this is not a penalty. Then one week later when I see Paris Saint-Germain play against Bayern Munich and get that same soft touch but the penalty stays.
"I saw last week my goalkeeper on the floor with an injury and the referee doesn't stop the game. I see a player of United off the pitch today and the referee stops the game when we try to play on. That has been our whole season."
Benjamin Sesko
Benjamin Sesko's goal was allowed despite the ball seemingly brushing his hand(Image: Getty Images)
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While Slot suggested that the goal itself should have been chalked off, he claimed that his players were equally as culpable as the officials. He added: "But the second goal we didn't concede because of a handball, we conceded it because we lost the ball in a stupid position and we lost a few big moments afterwards in duels.
"We have to first look at ourselves, that is completely clear and obvious, but that decisions have gone every single game against us, that's also completely clear and obvious.
"When we played United the first time this season, I had one of my players needing five stitches on the floor, and the referee didn't stop the game and we conceded. This is a complete pattern over the whole season, but there is also a pattern that we concede ridiculous goals when we are the better team, one or two are switching off and then we concede a goal.
"That we have more influence on, so I should focus much more on that than on these referee decisions that go against us. It's clear that it's the whole season the same."
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