No common sense - Guardiola slams Referees after controversial decision in Man City’s win over Liverpool

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has expressed frustration with Premier League officials following his side’s dramatic 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, criticising the decision to disallow a late goal that would have sealed the result.

City secured the win thanks to Erling Haaland’s first-ever goal at Anfield, a strike that ultimately proved decisive. However, the match ended in controversy after Rayan Cherki appeared to score a third goal deep into stoppage time.

With Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker pushed forward for a late corner, Cherki intercepted possession inside his own half and calmly sent the ball into the empty net. The goal was initially celebrated by City players before being ruled out by the referee.

As the ball made its way toward the goal, Haaland was involved in a tussle with Dominik Szoboszlai, prompting the referee to award a foul against Manchester City.

Szoboszlai was subsequently shown a red card, but the goal was chalked off, much to City’s displeasure.

Speaking briefly to BBC’s Match of the Day after the game, Guardiola made his frustration clear.

“Come on, referee, give a goal and go home!” he said.

The City boss later expanded on his comments during his post-match press conference, calling for greater consistency and common sense from match officials.

“Yeah, common sense, no?. I know he pulls him, but how many pulls are in a game and the referees play on, in this country, in this league? Give a goal, 3-1, Szoboszlai can play, and we are happy,” Guardiola stated.

Despite the controversy, Manchester City claimed all three points at Anfield in a result that could have significant implications in the Premier League title race, while Liverpool were left frustrated by both the defeat and the late red card.