‘Everyone knows it’ – Arne Slot slams VAR decision after Man City game

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has slammed VAR and referee Craig Pawson after Marc Guehi was not sent off for Manchester City at Anfield.

With the score goalless, Guehi was shown a yellow card for pulling Mohamed Salah’s shirt outside of the penalty area. It was checked whether the foul was inside the area and if Guehi had denied an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

After checking, the VAR official John Brooks decided to stick with the on-field call.

The Premier League Match Centre also explained why Guehi was not dismissed for the challenge on Salah.

“The referee’s call of a free-kick and yellow card to Guehi for the challenge on Salah was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the challenge outside of the area and deemed not to be denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity (DOGSO) as there was a covering defender,” the statement on X read.

Arne Slot believes Marc Guehi should have seen red for his challenge on Mohamed Salah. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images) /

However, Slot was not pleased with this decision. After the game, the Liverpool manager spoke about some of the decisions made by the officials.

He said: “We can talk about the decisions. I would like to talk about the one time Mo was through on goal and Guehi holds his shirt. Everyone who has been in this stadium in the last eight years knows if Mo is in that position it is a goal.

“So it is denial of a goalscoring opportunity.” Slot continued: “When you ask me about what decision, I thought what do you mean, the disallowed goal at City, the penalty they got in the away game against us, the clear red card on Mo Salah in the second half here, or the penalty they got in the second half, or do you mean this (Dominik Szoboszlai red card) decision?

“That’s only over two games, and the ones that follow Liverpool know how many decisions I can come up with in all the other games as well, all the big decisions that could have gone in some situation to a 50-50.”

Referee, Craig Pawson speaks to players during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City . (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Addressing the decision to send Szoboszlai off in the final moments of the game, he added: “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 situation which is a clear shirt-pull and he was through on goal so he would have scored. That’s a red card.

“I think the Sunderland manager is really happy he gives a red card. If you follow the rulebook, and you have a clear shirt-pull by Guehi on Mo Salah, who for eight years has been scoring that ball 100 times out of 100 – a bit of an exaggeration – and it is not a red card, then there is more of my frustration.

“I can live with the red card for Dom. If you like football you say: ‘Ah, leave it as a goal, it’s good for them and good for everyone’, but as the Sunderland manager you prefer to see it as a red card. That’s the rule and following the rules is all I ask.”

Finally, Slot was asked if he agreed with the penalty which was given to City in stoppage time. He said: “If it would have happened on the other side I’d have asked for a penalty. If I would have got it, I’m not sure.

“There is contact, we can’t debate that, the ball is out of play, we can’t debate that, when he makes the foul he can’t get the ball anymore. I would prefer to talk about the holding of Mo because that is so obvious that all the attention should go to that.

“But this (penalty) is one where if the referee doesn’t give the penalty, and he’s waiting, waiting, waiting and listening to his linesman I think, then he gave it, then the VAR won’t interfere. But what if he wouldn’t have given it? Would the VAR have intervened? That’s what we will never know.

“My main frustration is in the shirt-pull on Mo Salah at 0-0. Clear and open, one vs one on the goalkeeper.”