Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has criticised VAR and referee Craig Pawson following the decision not to send off Manchester City defender Marc Guehi during their goalless clash at Anfield.
The incident occurred with the scores level when Guehi was booked for pulling Mohamed Salah’s shirt just outside the penalty area. VAR official John Brooks reviewed the challenge to determine whether it took place inside the box and whether it amounted to denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
After the review, officials upheld the referee’s original decision. The Premier League Match Centre later clarified the ruling, explaining why the defender was not shown a red card.
“The referee’s call of a free-kick and yellow card to Guehi for the challenge on Salah was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the challenge outside of the area and deemed not to be denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity (DOGSO) as there was a covering defender,” the statement on X read.
Speaking after the match, Slot questioned several decisions made by the officials, focusing particularly on the incident involving Salah.
“We can talk about the decisions,” he said (via Manchester Evening News). “I would like to talk about the one time Mo was through on goal and Guehi holds his shirt. Everyone who has been in this stadium in the last eight years knows if Mo is in that position it is a goal.
“So it is denial of a goalscoring opportunity.”
Slot went on to list other contentious calls involving Liverpool and Manchester City across recent fixtures.
“When you ask me about what decision, I thought what do you mean, the disallowed goal at City, the penalty they got in the away game against us, the clear red card on Mo Salah in the second half here, or the penalty they got in the second half, or do you mean this (Dominik Szoboszlai red card) decision?
“That’s only over two games, and the ones that follow Liverpool know how many decisions I can come up with in all the other games as well, all the big decisions that could have gone in some situation to a 50-50.”
Addressing Szoboszlai’s dismissal late in the match, Slot admitted he accepted the decision, even if reluctantly.
“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.
“I think the Sunderland manager is really happy he gives a red card. 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.
“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. That’s the rule and following the rules is all I ask.”
