Former referee Dermot Gallagher said Manchester City’s goal against Liverpool was disallowed because of a foul on goalkeeper Alisson.
Manchester City played Liverpool in their first Premier League game since the international break on Saturday afternoon, with the sides drawing 1-1 at the Etihad.
Erling Holland put the home side ahead at half-time, but Trent Alexander-Arnold scored a superb run from close range from inside the box to give Liverpool a point. For such a big event there was surprisingly little drama at the Etihad, with both players looking slightly tired after the international break.
However, a brief controversy arose in the second half. With 67 minutes remaining and City a goal down, Pep Guardiola’s side hit the bar for the second time. Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, along with Ruben Diaz, headed the corner kick from the left into an empty net.
But referee Chris Kavanagh awarded Manchester City centre-back Manuel Akanji a foul which could have impeded Liverpool’s Brazilian.
After a brief VAR review, the decision stayed on the pitch. While some felt the decision was generous and Liverpool should not have gone further behind, former referee Gallagher said Cabana was right to award the Reds a free-kick. In an interview with Sky Sport, Gallagher was asked if he had done enough to foul Alisson and replied: “Rob, I’m not going to answer that question. Because they say goalies are overprotected, but you won’t care. You have to knock.
He lost a little balance and all stability. He couldn’t catch the ball. “I think he gets off balance enough to foul.” But Alisson was lucky and had Akanji on hand as he made contact with the Liverpool keeper and slotted the ball home.Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk gave a direct response to Alisson’s misplay after the match. “It’s a foul. Not much to say about it. Very clear. “You can’t insult a goalkeeper and that’s it.”Alisson was not at his best for United and his error cost him Haaland’s opener, while the 31-year-old also withdrew in the second half with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.
After the match, Jurgen Klopp said of Alisson’s injury: “I hope it’s not that serious, but I don’t have an answer. I don’t know what the situation is now. I spoke to him and he just said he felt it. .” [It’s a minor thing, but you have to wait for the scan.]
