Pep Guardiola says it best about state of refereeing over Liverpool vs Man City ending

The Liverpool midfielder was shown an injury-time red card at Anfield for his pull on Erling Haaland, despite the ball upfield eventually rolling into the goal

Pep Guardiola said common sense did not prevail with Dominik Szoboszlai's red card against Manchester City

Pep Guardiola believes common sense did not prevail as Dominik Szoboszlai was sent off in injury during Liverpool's 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday.

The midfielder was involved in a race with Erling Haaland to get to a long ball from Rayan Cherki. With Alisson in City's half as the Reds chased a way back into the game, the ball eventually trickled over the line of the Liverpool goal.

City celebrated as if it had added a third, only for the goal to be chalked off and a red card given for Szoboszlai, who had clearly fouled Haaland and prevented him from getting to the ball.

Guardiola was asked about that decision after the game and said the goal should have stood and Liverpool remained with 11 players: "Yeah, common sense, no?

"We won the game and Szoboszlai can’t play. I know we pull him, you know, but how many pulls there are in a game that referees play on, play on, play on?

"In this country, this league, for always, I've been like that, because I have to play more, you know, how many? So give a goal, 3-1, so he can play and we are, yeah, happy.

Szoboszlai will now receive a suspension and add to Liverpool's roster concerns.(Image: AFP or licensors)

"It was a 10-second, it was a long ball from Alisson and the game was over," he added. "We've played one or two more minutes, I remember how many times in Jurgen Klopp's time, how many times he scored goals in the last minutes.

"It always can happen in football, you know, Van Dijk up front, long ball, second ball, free kick, everything can happen in football. We know that but it is what it is."

City's win means it keeps the gap the leaders Arsenal to six points, but Liverpool failed to maintain pace with Manchester United and Chelsea, after they won on Saturday.

For Guardiola, Sunday's win was also his first at Anfield with fans in attendance.

"It is so difficult," said the Catalan. "Anfield is Anfield, the tradition, the history and the crowd. It always looks smaller, tighter here and the pitch doesn't look like Etihad Stadium. And the players that they have and everything.