Dominik Szoboszlai red card: Did ref and VAR in Liverpool v Man City get Haaland drama right?

With Alisson stranded high up the pitch for a set-piece as Liverpool looked for a late equaliser, Rayan Cherki slotted the ball into the empty net from just inside his own half.

Haaland went for it and would clearly outpoint Dominik Szoboszlai.

The City striker had passed Szoboszlai 25 yards from goal and looked confident of winning the race but fell back.

It was an obvious foul, which referee Craig Pawson spotted, but he took advantage.

As the ball rolled towards the goal, Liverpool’s Hungary international was about to break into goal and clear the ball off the line, with the same two players still jostling to get to the ball.

But before Szoboszlai could do so, Haaland pulled him back, which prevented the home player from keeping the ball out of the net.

The Norwegian striker’s first pull muddies the waters. In the end, it looked like Haaland was definitely going to score.

But these are two different situations. You need to separate Szoboszlai’s first foul and Haaland’s subsequent attack.

Could Szoboszlai have prevented the goal if he had not been fouled? There’s a good chance.

On this basis, it is impossible for the goal to survive.

Remember that Pawson plays with advantage. If Szoboszlai had been allowed to keep the ball out, play would have been retaken and Szoboszlai would have been sent off.

The final result would be the same as the result of the VAR intervention: no goal and Szoboszlai sent off for denying an obvious goal opportunity.

If you give Haaland the first shot, it’s hard to see how anyone could have a problem with the goal not being conceded.

This isn’t the first or last time VAR correctly disallowed a goal and people have had a really hard time stomaching that.

Yes, this goal could be important for Manchester City at the end of the season. However, the conceded goal could also be vital for Liverpool.