Gary Neville says the decision to overturn Rayan Cherki’s second-half goal from the halfway line in Manchester City’s win over Liverpool erased one of the moments of the season and provided ammunition to those who feel VAR is ruining football.
Manchester City celebrated at Anfield as Cherki’s low shot found Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson in the air, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR check after Erling Haaland fouled Dominik Szoboszlai as he sprinted towards the empty goal.
Haaland’s foul forced referee Craig Pawson to then send off the Liverpool player for denying a clear scoring opportunity, taking into account Szoboszlai’s pull of Haaland.
In a joint comment on Sky Sports at the time of the incident, Neville said: “I think it’s very unfair. I know there are rules, but I can smell the game. It’s completely gone.”
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Highlights of the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City
“No one will disown that goal, but it will be disallowed. Talk about Killjoy. Liverpool lose because they get sent off. City lose because they don’t score.”
“You just killed one of the moments of the season.”
The Sky Sports pundit later spoke at length about his frustrations on the Gary Neville Podcast.
“I know the referee and the VAR officials have come to the right conclusion, but if you’re in the camp that VAR is ruining football and VAR is taking the joy and entertainment out of the game, that’s one of the best pieces of evidence you could ever hope for,” Neville said.
“It was a great football moment where there was complete chaos at the end of the game, players fouling each other, the ball dribbling into the net, a team that had hardly ever won at Anfield came from 1-0 down and basically went on to win 3-1.
“Following a brief intrusion by a few City fans, there were fans celebrating with the players on the pitch.
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Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai believes RED and Manchester City’s third goal in stoppage time was canceled out
“This is a classic moment in the English football season. If City start closing the gap on Arsenal, you would think it would be a celebration and a moment.
“I think 10 City players on the bench ran up and congratulated Haaland. It felt like a golden moment taken from the game.”
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“The Liverpool fans didn’t really want that at that point. They knew the game was over and now Szoboszlai has received a red card. He’s been sent off and won’t play in the next game.”
“Nobody wins. If I’m being honest, I think the referee and the VAR officials made the right decision.
“But something just didn’t smell right. They didn’t need to intervene.
“I’m not saying it’s okay to be subjective about when to intervene in the emotions of a football game.
“Rules and laws have to apply, otherwise we go crazy. If it was zero, I would have said, ‘Absolutely, make the right decision.’ But in that moment, it didn’t feel right.”
Haaland: Just protect the goal.
Haaland said he was disappointed with Szoboszlai, who will be suspended for Liverpool’s midweek trip to Sunderland, and said officials should have left the goal intact.
Haaland incorrectly thought his former teammate at Red Bull Salzburg would receive a three-game suspension instead of one, but questioned the need for VAR intervention.
“Of course the referee had to follow the rules, but now he will be given three games. In the end he will be given three games, so I feel sorry for him,” the striker told Sky Sports.
Haaland celebrates after scoring a penalty goal
“Just give them a goal, no red card. It’s very simple.
“That’s the rule, that’s the way it is.
“If only Cherki would give me the ball and I could score…but he didn’t want to, so that’s how it is!”
Manchester City manager Josep Guardiola echoed Haaland’s comments.
“It’s common sense, right?” he said when asked about the incident at a press conference.
“We won the game, but now Szoboszlai can’t play. I understand that he pulled him, but it’s common in games for the referee to say, ‘Play on, play on, play on.’
“It’s always been like that in this country, in this league. So we gave the goal, 3-1. Szoboszlai can play, and we are happy.”
