Rayan Cherki's last-gasp goal for Manchester City at Anfield was disallowed after a VAR check with Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai being sent off
Liverpool's Hungarian midfielder #08 Dominik Szoboszlai (R) fouls Manchester City's Norwegian striker #09 Erling Haaland (L) which resulted in a red card at the end of the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on February 8, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /
Dominik Szoboszlai fouls Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, which eventually resulted in a red card for the stand-in Liverpool right-back
View Image
(Image: Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)
Chief Refereeing Officer Howard Webb said Rayan Cherki's disallowed goal for Manchester City against Liverpool at Anfield this month was delivered through the correct use of VAR and insisted there's a "limit" to common sense.
Cherki's strike from long range at Anfield – with Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker chasing a Liverpool equaliser – was awarded by on-pitch referee Craig Pawson, seemingly handing a 3-1 Premier League win to Pep Guardiola's side.
Dominik Szoboszlai fouled Erling Haaland in the build-up to the breakaway goal. Advantage had been originally awarded to City, but following a VAR review, Haaland was also adjudged to have pulled Szoboszlai back, and the goal was chalked off.
City were awarded a free-kick and Szoboszlai was subsequently shown a red card and banned for one match following the fixture on February 8. Moments later the final whistle blew.
At the time, the decision courted criticism with boss Guardiola and Arne Slot preferring the goal to have stood and Szoboszlai not to have been sent off.
However, speaking on Match Officials Mic'd Up, Webb explained: "To referee at Premier League level, you need a feel for the game, you need an understanding, and we try to apply common sense where that's possible but there's a limit to that.
"This goal is only scored – it only goes in the goal – because Erling Haaland pulls Szoboszlai, preventing him from being able to clear the ball.
"The referee tries to play an advantage when Szoboszlai initially pulls Haaland, and he waits to see what happens and, of course if the ball goes straight into the goal, that's a good advantage, we give the goal.
"But the ball only goes into the goal because Haaland clearly commits an offence on Szoboszlai.
"We can't ignore that. We can't therefore just allow the advantage because it's only accrued because of that action by Haaland.
"So, we have to go right back to the initial offence, which is the one by Szoboszlai pulling Haaland.
"It's outside the penalty area, it denies an obvious goalscoring opportunity, so a free kick is given and Szoboszlai is sent off.
"He was appealing for this foul by Haaland, he was right to appeal because it was a foul.
"But unfortunately for him, he'd committed an initial offence that has to be penalised and we end up in what is clearly the right place through the use of VAR in the end."
*Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source.Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings.*