MANCHESTER — Although he was at pains to emphasise that the two-goal gap Liverpool discovered themselves in was a good reflection of the primary half, Arne Slot insisted the story of his facet’s 3-0 hammering at Manchester Metropolis may have been slightly completely different if VAR had not overruled Virgil van Dijk’s Thirty eighth-minute header.
Captain Van Dijk thought he had introduced Liverpool stage when he guided Mohamed Salah’s supply onto a robust arc that curled contained in the far submit, seemingly cancelling out Erling Haaland’s earlier header. Nevertheless, his celebrations had been quickly punctured by jubilation on the Etihad Stadium as video assistant referee Michael Oliver instructed him to overturn the objective. Andrew Robertson had ducked out of the best way of the header and was actually close to the ball, although controversy reigned over whether or not he had been standing between Van Dijk and Donnarumma.
Slot was insistent that that was not the case, saying it was “apparent and clear that the mistaken choice had been made.” Earlier than halftime was out, Liverpool would discover themselves in an irretrievable place, Nico Gonzalez hanging low and onerous from outdoors the field. The 2-goal deficit was a good reflection of a half by which Haaland and Jeremy Doku had run the champions ragged and certainly was one which Slot had few complaints about in his post-match press convention. Nevertheless, he couldn’t assist however mirror on what might need been if his facet had been given their equalizer.
“I wish to emphasize the truth that being 2-0 down at halftime was a good reflection of how the sport went,” he stated. “However I’ve been on the other facet, that my group was a lot better than the opposite group, we had been 1-0 up after which perhaps not scoring the second and the opposite group will get a set piece, it is 1-1 after which hastily issues change. This may occur in soccer.
“I consistently felt if we had been managing to maintain perhaps 1-0 down till halftime, we will perhaps alter just a few issues, which was undoubtedly needed as a result of we had been consistently coming one or two gamers brief within the midfield as a result of Doku and [Nico] O’Reilly gave us quite a lot of issues with the 2 of them. Then 1-1 would have been the most important present we may get at halftime as a result of, in my view, the second half was a unique recreation, however being 2-0 down and later 3-0 down that perhaps would not give a great reflection of how issues would have went if it will have been 1-1.”
Referee physique PGMOL stated that Van Dijk’s objective had been dominated out as a result of Robertson had been “deemed to be making an apparent motion instantly in entrance of the goalkeeper” and the legal guidelines of the sport do make reference to it being an offside offensee to make “an apparent motion which clearly impacts on the power of an opponent to play the ball.” Whether or not Robertson’s duck did so for Donnarumma is up for debate.
Whether or not that objective stood might not have made a lot of a distinction anyway, as Slot himself acknowledged. On the event of Pep Guardiola’s a thousandth recreation in cost, his group had been as irresistible as they’ve been in an amazing lots of the previous 549 by which he has managed Metropolis. He stated, “Thanks to the gamers and workers for giving me an unbelievable current towards crucial opponent we confronted in my time right here. It has been a particular night time with my youngsters right here.”
The stakes of this incessantly totemic recreation had solely been raised additional on Saturday night time when Arsenal dropped their first factors since September with a 2-2 draw at Sunderland. Victory for Metropolis moved them inside 4 factors of the league leaders. Liverpool, in the meantime, have 5 defeats from their opening 11 video games and are actually eight factors off the highest.
Requested in regards to the alternative that had opened up for Metropolis after Sunderland’s late equalizer, Guardiola stated, “I believe Liverpool and us stated, ‘Oh wow, Arsenal dropped factors lastly and conceded two targets.’ I stated to the gamers to not do it as a result of yesterday Arsenal did not win. Do it as a result of we imagine in ourselves that we will play towards the champions of England and present them we’re able to be there with them this season. At present we proved it – particularly within the first half.”
