Alisson Becker was lucky as Liverpool left the Etihad Stadium. This was followed by speeches from Jamie Carragher, Daniel Sturridge and Micah Richards.
Premier League football returned after the last international break in 2023 and it didn’t take long for VAR to become a hot topic.
During the qualifying match between Manchester City and Liverpool, a goal was disallowed for a foul on Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker.
City initially took the lead through Erling Haaland’s 50th Premier League goal but had a second goal disallowed by on-field referee Chris Kavanagh and the decision was upheld following a VAR review.
The decision sparked a backlash on social media, with Arsenal fans drawing comparisons to a similar incident earlier this season when Gabriel set up a goal for Anthony Gordon. Jamie Carragher and Daniel Sturridge discuss the disallowed goal after the match.
Sturridge believed VAR made the right decision, saying “It was a small touch but VAR decided the goal was disallowed.” Carragher added that Liverpool and Alisson were lucky.
“If the referee calls it a goal, there is no way the VAR will call it a foul. “Nothing can touch him because he is a goalkeeper of his own caliber.”Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards agreed with Carragher that Alisson pushed the City player before making contact.
He backed Carragher and described the decision as “very generous”. Carragher drew parallels between that incident and Arsenal’s goal against Newcastle.
He emphasized that Gabriel was not at fault in this incident and that the VAR decisions were inconsistent. Carragher compared Alisson’s relationship with a City player to a head-butt between a centre-back and a striker, saying it was a matter of balance.
He also mentioned the Newcastle-Arsenal situation where a foul on Gabriel led to a questionable goal but was disallowed by the referee. Carragher felt Alisson should have handled the situation better on a day when he made a number of goalkeeping mistakes which could have cost him more.
The disallowed goal and subsequent controversy highlight the ongoing debate about VAR decisions in football. Inconsistencies in the application of VAR interpretation and the subjectivity of foul and handball incidents cause controversy.
Fans and pundits alike question VAR’s reliability and effectiveness in maintaining fairness and accuracy in decision-making. Liverpool.com says: Alisson was very happy. If Cabana had not committed a foul on the field, there would have been little chance of VAR overturning the decision.
If anyone ever pulled on a Liverpool shirt, it’s Alisson who deserves to be lucky enough to achieve a very rare achievement. I hope his injuries are not serious.
