Guardiola and Haaland Unite in Criticism Over Szoboszlai's Controversial Red Card
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and match-winner Erling Haaland have voiced their disapproval of the decision to send off Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai during City's 2-1 victory at Anfield. The Hungarian midfielder received a straight red card in the 103rd minute for preventing a clear goalscoring opportunity, a decision that both City figures labelled as lacking common sense.
Bizarre Incident Leads to Dismissal in Dramatic Finale
The controversial moment occurred during injury time when City's Rayan Cherki saw a spectacular strike from the halfway line disallowed. As Szoboszlai and Haaland chased the shot, the Liverpool player fouled the Norwegian striker, who then tugged back the Hungarian in retaliation. Remarkably, neither player made contact with the ball before it crossed the line.
Referee Craig Pawson initially awarded the goal that would have made it 3-1 to City, but after consulting VAR and reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor, he overturned his decision. Pawson instead awarded a free kick to City and showed Szoboszlai a straight red card, reducing Liverpool to ten men in the closing moments.
Guardiola Calls for Common Sense in Officiating
Speaking after the match, Guardiola expressed his frustration with the decision, emphasising that he would have preferred the goal to stand. "Come on referee, give the goal and go home. It's common sense," said the City manager. "I know he pulls him, but how many pulls there are in a game that referees play on, play on, play on?"
The Spanish tactician's comments highlighted his belief that officials should exercise more discretion in such situations, particularly when the ball had already crossed the line before the foul occurred.
Haaland Echoes Manager's Sentiment
Erling Haaland, who played alongside Szoboszlai at Red Bull Salzburg earlier in their careers, echoed his manager's perspective. The Norwegian striker stated simply: "Just give the goal, don't give a red card, simple as that."
Haaland's comments reflected a shared frustration between player and manager about what they perceived as an overly technical application of the rules that detracted from the spirit of the game.
Liverpool Manager Accepts Decision but Questions Consistency
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot said he accepted the decision regarding Szoboszlai's dismissal but expressed greater annoyance about an earlier incident involving City defender Marc Guehi. The Dutch manager explained that Guehi had only received a yellow card for tugging Mohamed Salah when the score was 0-0, a decision he found inconsistent with Szoboszlai's punishment.
"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," said Slot.
"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."
Consequences for Liverpool's Upcoming Fixture
The red card means Szoboszlai will be suspended for Liverpool's next Premier League match away at Sunderland on Wednesday. Slot acknowledged this consequence while maintaining his philosophical approach to the decision.
"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," Slot added. "That's the rule and following the rules is all I ask."
The incident has sparked debate about VAR implementation and the consistency of officiating decisions in crucial moments of high-profile matches, with both managers calling for greater clarity in how rules are applied in similar situations moving forward.
