Liverpool were at the centre of a VAR debate during their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday, with attention focused on a late penalty appeal involving Mohamed Salah and the dismissal of Dominik Szoboszlai.
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has defended referee Craig Pawson, explaining why Marc Guehi’s challenge on Salah warranted only a yellow card while Szoboszlai was sent off for denying a goalscoring opportunity.
The match saw Szoboszlai shown a straight red in the closing stages after pulling Erling Haaland during a City attack that ended with Rayan Cherki striking from distance.
Pawson initially allowed play to continue but, after consulting VAR, disallowed Cherki’s goal, awarded a free-kick to City, and sent off Szoboszlai. The decision left Pep Guardiola bemused and sparked criticism from pundits, including Gary Neville, who questioned football’s consistency.
Gallagher, however, sympathised with Pawson’s position, citing the difficulty of interpreting multiple incidents in real time.
“Without doubt, Szoboszlai will argue he’s been fouled… he denies Haaland because he’s on the run, he pulls him back,” Gallagher said. “I feel for the referee… if he saw the second foul and blows, the ball hasn’t gone in the net. The situation is, it ends up in the net, Szoboszlai is fouled… and you have to default back to the original.”
Earlier in the match, Guehi fouled Salah in a seemingly similar situation, sparking calls for a penalty. Gallagher argued the foul did not meet the criteria for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity. “I think it’s not obvious, that’s why it goes from a red to a yellow card… Mo Salah is quite happy to receive the foul, he goes down, Dias is coming across… it goes from obvious to possible.”
Former Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd agreed, suggesting Salah could have stayed on his feet to maximise the chance.
The contest also saw Bernardo Silva level the match after Liverpool’s opener and Haaland convert a spot-kick following a foul by Alisson Becker on Matheus Nunes. Gallagher supported the penalty decision, noting that the contact was clearly a foul and occurred while the ball remained in play.
The game illustrated the fine margins that can dominate Premier League matches, with VAR scrutiny and split-second referee decisions continuing to ignite debate over consistency in awarding red cards and penalties.
Pawson’s decisions, while controversial, were defended as reasonable under the circumstances, highlighting the challenges referees face in high-stakes encounters.
