Manchester City secured a vital 2-1 victory, keeping their pursuit of leaders Arsenal alive, but the post-match discussion centered almost entirely on a bizarre sequence in the 13th minute of stoppage time (around the 103rd minute overall), where a seemingly sealed goal for City was overturned by VAR, leading to a red card for Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai.
Liverpool, under Arne Slot, had taken the lead in the 74th minute through a moment of individual brilliance from Szoboszlai. The Hungarian midfielder curled a stunning free-kick into the top corner from distance, sending the Kop into ecstasy and giving the Reds a precious advantage in a game where both sides were chasing points at the sharp end of the season. For much of the second half, Liverpool held firm, but Manchester City fought back relentlessly.
In the 84th minute, Bernardo Silva leveled the score with a composed finish, capitalizing on a defensive lapse to make it 1-1. Then, deep into added time (around the 93rd minute), Erling Haaland converted a penalty to put City ahead 2-1. The spot-kick came after Alisson Becker was adjudged to have fouled in the area, handing Haaland the chance to score his first league goal at Anfield and complete the turnaround.
But the real pandemonium erupted moments later. With Liverpool desperately pushing forward in search of an equalizer, goalkeeper Alisson had ventured upfield for a set-piece. Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki, spotting the empty net, attempted a speculative low shot from near the halfway line. The ball trickled slowly toward the unguarded goal as Haaland and Szoboszlai—now positioned as an emergency defender—raced to intervene.
Haaland appeared poised to tap the ball home, but Szoboszlai tugged at his shirt to slow him down, a clear holding offense. Haaland retaliated by grabbing Szoboszlai in return as the ball continued rolling. Cherki’s effort eventually crossed the line, sparking wild celebrations from the City bench and traveling fans, who thought they had a 3-1 win and a potentially decisive blow in the title race.
Referee Craig Pawson initially allowed the goal, but VAR intervened for a lengthy review. After checking the incidents, Pawson went to the pitchside monitor and delivered the verdict over the stadium tannoy: “After review, there is a careless foul by Erling Haaland that pulls the shirt of Dominik Szoboszlai. Prior to that, Szoboszlai commits a holding offence that denies an obvious goalscoring opportunity. The final decision is a direct free-kick to Manchester City and a red card.”
The Cherki goal was chalked off due to Haaland’s pull (which occurred after Szoboszlai’s initial foul but before the ball crossed the line), and Szoboszlai was shown a straight red for denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity (DOGSO) under the laws of the game. The restart was a free-kick to City from the spot of Szoboszlai’s foul, rather than a kick-off from the goal being awarded.
The decision split opinions. By the letter of the law, it was correct: Szoboszlai’s shirt pull prevented Haaland from reaching the ball first and scoring what would have been a certain tap-in, qualifying as DOGSO and warranting a red card (with no attempt to play the ball). However, critics—including Gary Neville—argued VAR over-intervened in what could have been seen as mutual tugging in a desperate foot race, ruining a “golden moment” of chaos. Erling Haaland himself post-match said it should have been “just give the goal, don’t give a red card. Simple as that.” Pep Guardiola laughed it off, noting City still won, while Slot accepted the rulebook application but admitted disappointment at losing Szoboszlai.
The Hungarian’s red card means an automatic one-match ban (as it wasn’t for violent conduct), ruling him out of Liverpool’s midweek trip to Sunderland. Liverpool fans felt robbed of momentum, while City supporters celebrated a comeback that cut the gap to Arsenal to six points.
This incident highlighted ongoing debates about VAR’s role in “clear and obvious” errors versus strict application of laws in frantic end-of-game scenarios. Anfield thought the drama was over when Cherki’s ball trickled in—but VAR ensured Szoboszlai went from late-game hero (with his earlier free-kick) to heartbreak in seconds, red-carded amid the confusion. Football at its most unpredictable, controversial, and enthralling.
