Manchester City striker Erling Haaland scored a late penalty as his team came from behind to beat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield.
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland told Liverpool goalscorer Dominik Szoboszlai that he didn’t want to talk to him moments before scoring the winner at Anfield. The Norwegian centre-forward had a quiet afternoon for the most part on Merseyside but with the scores level he was given the chance to win the game.
In the first minute of second half stoppage time, Matheus Nunes was brought down by Alisson to gift City a chance to win the game. Before the penalty could be taken, Nunes was receiving treatment and this gave Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister an opportunity to try and put the forward off.
Reflecting on that moment, the forward told Sky Sports: “He [Szoboszlai] started speaking with me, also Mac Allister, but I don’t remember [what he said] I was just focusing. I told him [Szoboszlai]: ‘This is the first time I don’t want to speak with you, so move away,’ but in the end I was nervous and then I am just happy that I scored.”
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Haaland and Szoboszlai would then be at the centre of VAR controversy. With Alisson at the other end of the pitch as Liverpool pushed for an equaliser, City won the ball back and Rayan Cherki looked to have scored from his own half.
Both Haaland and Szoboszlai were chasing the ball as it trickled towards the goal. VAR intervened and ruled out the goal and the makeshift full-back was sent off for fouling Haaland.
Amidst that confusion, City managed to see out the game but Haaland admitted he felt sympathy for Szoboszlai, who he played alongside at RB Salzburg. “Of course the referee has to follow the rules but this will give him three games and in the end I feel bad for him because he gets three games [ban],” Haaland said.
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“Just give the goal, don’t give a red card. Simple as that.”
Moments before that disallowed goal, Gianluigi Donnarumma produced a world class save to deny Mac Allister’s long range effort and Haaland reserved praise for the Italian. He concluded: “You see in the second half they managed to play good football and we managed to keep it away.
“Look at Gigi, look at the last save he made. It was incredible, the one with Mac Allister shooting. This is, for me, out of this world and it shows why he is the best in the world.”