Manchester City held Liverpool to a 1-1 draw while Jurgen Klopp bemoaned a last-minute VAR call that may have changed the outcome of the match.
Former Premier League official Mark Clattenburg has maintained that VAR erred in not awarding Liverpool a late penalty in Sunday afternoon’s match against Manchester City.
While the draw leaves that up in the air, the match between Jurgen Klopp’s and Pep Guardiola’s dominant squads was billed as a potential championship race decider. Both sides put on a thrilling display at Anfield. A close-range goal by John Stones gave City the lead and the advantage for the majority of the first half.
But the Reds fought back, and inside two minutes of the half, they were tied thanks to a penalty kick from Alexis Mac Allister after Ederson had fouled Darwin Nunez. As stoppage time approached, Liverpool persisted in their pressure and believed they should have been awarded another penalty after Jeremy Doku had caught Mac Allister.
After a check, VAR informed referee Michael Oliver that Doku had played the ball, even if he had not awarded a penalty. At halftime, Klopp contested this call, claiming that all football supporters were aware it was a spot-kick.
Clattenburg, who is currently a referee advisor for Nottingham Forest, criticized VAR in his Daily Mail column for failing to give Liverpool a penalty in the closing moments of the game. “Liverpool should have been awarded a stoppage-time penalty against Manchester City but this is the problem in the Premier League right now – referees are making mistakes in matches and not being helped by their VARs,” the writer said.
“The ball rises back up. Alexis Mac Allister advances in its direction. Jeremy Doku has a tall foot. Mac Allister gets struck in the chest by him.
