Arne Slot expresses frustration over Marc Guehi decision after Liverpool loss to Man City

Arne Slot could not understand how former Liverpool transfer target Marc Guehi was not sent off for Manchester City at Anfield

Arne Slot has expressed his frustration Marc Guehi was not sent off for a shirt-pull on Mohamed Salah as his Liverpool team tumbled to a dispiriting Premier League defeat against Manchester City. The Reds went ahead with 16 minutes remaining through Dominik Szoboszlai’s thunderous free-kick only for Bernardo Silva to equalise and Erling Haaland to net an injury-time penalty.

City thought they had scored a third when, with Alisson Becker up for a corner, they countered and substitute Rayan Cherki rolled home from the halfway line.

However, referee Craig Pawson ruled the strike out and then dismissed Dominik Szoboszlai for a tug on Haaland's shirt as they both tussled for the slow-moving ball.

READ MORE : Liverpool face selection crisis for Sunderland after Arne Slot admission

OPINION

And when asked for his take on the bizarre incident, Slot instead highlighted a similar offence by Guehi early in the second half on Mohamed Salah that prompted only a yellow card.

“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 (Szoboszlai red card) decision?” said the Reds boss.

“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.

“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.”

The winning penalty was awarded after Alisson made an ill-advised rush from his line and took out Mateus Nunes despite the City player having lost control of the ball, which went out of play.

And Slot 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.”

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