Manchester City staged a stunning late comeback to secure the three points and keep their title hopes alive. Liverpool had taken the lead in the 74th minute through a moment of individual brilliance from Dominik Szoboszlai, who unleashed a thunderous free-kick from distance that left the City defense helpless and the Anfield crowd roaring. The Hungarian midfielder’s strike looked set to be the defining moment of a tightly contested game, giving Arne Slot’s side a precious advantage in a fixture that often shapes the season.
However, Manchester City responded with composure. Bernardo Silva equalized in the 84th minute with a poacher’s finish, capitalizing on a moment of uncertainty in the Liverpool backline. Then, in the 93rd minute, Erling Haaland converted a penalty to give City the lead—his cool spot-kick sending the traveling supporters into ecstasy and silencing the home faithful.
The real chaos erupted deep into stoppage time. With Liverpool pushing desperately for an equalizer and goalkeeper Alisson Becker well out of position, Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki attempted a speculative shot from near the halfway line. The ball trickled toward the empty net, appearing destined to make it 3-1. As Erling Haaland raced to tap it in, Dominik Szoboszlai tugged at the Norwegian’s shirt, denying him a clear path to the goal. Haaland reacted by pulling Szoboszlai down in retaliation. The ball crossed the line anyway, and initial celebrations followed for what seemed like City’s third goal.
Referee Craig Pawson allowed play to continue briefly before VAR intervened for an extended review. After deliberation, the decision was made to disallow Cherki’s goal due to Haaland’s foul on Szoboszlai. However, the review also focused on Szoboszlai’s initial holding offense, deemed a denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO). Pawson awarded Manchester City a direct free-kick instead and showed Szoboszlai a straight red card in the 90+13th minute.
The outcome left Liverpool down to 10 men in the dying seconds, unable to mount further pressure, and Szoboszlai facing an automatic one-match suspension for the DOGSO offense. Social media erupted immediately, with fans labeling it “VAR madness” and “another robbery” at Anfield. Many argued the red card was harsh, especially since a goal had been scored from the incident—questioning why the advantage wasn’t played out fully or why both fouls weren’t balanced in punishment.
Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler weighed in on the controversy, highlighting what he described as a misapplication of the laws of the game. Fowler pointed out that the sequence involved mutual fouls, and the referee’s final call—overturning the goal while punishing only Szoboszlai—appeared inconsistent with standard interpretations of advantage and DOGSO rules. He suggested the officials ignored the basic principle that if a goal is scored despite the foul, the play should stand unless the infringement directly prevents it. Fowler’s comments fueled widespread anger among Liverpool supporters, who accused VAR of “rewriting the rules” once again and costing their team dearly in a pivotal match.
The fallout has intensified calls for greater accountability from PGMOL officials. Liverpool fans flooded social platforms with memes, angry rants, and demands for explanations, describing it as “daylight robbery” and pointing to a pattern of contentious decisions against the Reds in big games. Meanwhile, City supporters celebrated the comeback win, which reduced Arsenal’s lead at the top to six points, but even some neutrals questioned the logic of disallowing a goal while issuing a red card for an event that occurred before the ball crossed the line.
This result keeps the Premier League title race fiercely competitive, with Manchester City showing resilience under Pep Guardiola. For Liverpool, the defeat stings not just because of the dropped points but due to the chaotic ending that overshadowed Szoboszlai’s earlier heroics. The club now faces challenges ahead without the influential midfielder for their next fixture, while debates over VAR’s role in modern football rage on. Incidents like this continue to divide opinion, with many insisting the technology meant to bring clarity is instead sowing confusion and eroding trust in the game’s officials.
