Liverpool gets new referee verdict after controversial call that left Arne Slot fuming

Liverpool has been handed a new referee verdict after losing 2-1 at home to Man City, with Arne Slot's men needing swift improvements to finish inside the Champions League places

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot said he could accept the red card that Dominik Szoboszlai recieved against Manchester City, but he was unhappy at Marc Guehi still being on the field at the final whistle.

Szoboszlai, after a VAR check, was sent off in bizarre circumstances, with the ball ending up in the back of the net. However, he had pulled back Erling Haaland and then been fouled by the Norwegian, meaning he was given his marching orders instead of the scoreline becoming 3-1.

Earlier in the game, on a rare occasion when Mohamed Salah got in behind the Manchester City defense, the Egyptian was pulled back by Guehi, but it was deemed that there was a covering defender and therefore only a caution.

"When you asked me, what do you think about the decision, I thought, what do you mean?" Slot said in his post-match press conference.

"Do you mean the disallowed goal at City, the header from us? Do you mean the penalty they got in the away game against us? Do you mean the clear red card on Mo Salah in the second half? Do you mean the penalty they got in the second half? Do you mean this decision?

"Only over two games — and the ones that follow Liverpool know how many decisions of this I can come up with in all the other games as well — only in these two games all the big decisions that could have gone in some situation to a 50-50 or some people say left, some people say right...

Marc Guehi challenges Mohamed Salah(Image: Getty)

"I can live with the fact, although I don't like it, that the referee follows the rulebook and Dominik makes a foul on Haaland in that last situation, which is a clear shirt pull.

"He was through to goal, so he would have scored, so that's a red card. And I think the Sunderland manager is really happy that he gives the red card (Szoboszlai is now suspended for the midweek game at the Stadium of Light). So that's the rulebook and you follow the rulebook.

"But if you follow the rulebook and you have a clear shirt pull from [Marc] Guehi on Mo Salah, who for eight years is scoring that ball every single time — 100 out of 100 times he scores that goal, a bit exaggerated — and that is not a red card, then there is more of my frustration."

Reds boss Slot has been backed up by the former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg, who also reckons it should have resulted in a red card.

"Mo Salah is pulled back by Marc Guehi and a free kick and a yellow card was awarded as the challenge happened outside the penalty area," Clattenburg told Rousing The Kop.

"When you stop the action at the point when the foul happens, I believe Mo Salah to be in on goal as the covering defender is too far away and he would have a goalscoring opportunity. Marc Guehi is lucky to be still on the pitch."

Liverpool.com says: Guehi was fortunate, for sure. It is likely that Salah would have got a shot off so he is lucky regarding the red card. He is lucky that he let go of Salah just in time, too, as it could easily have been a penalty. Whether it was a free-kick or a penalty, it would have been a red card because he made no genuine attempt to play the ball.