Arne Slot slams game-altering refereeing decision in Liverpool loss to Manchester City | OneFootball

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has issued a scathing assessment of a major officiating decision in his side’s defeat to Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.

City marked Pep Guardiola’s 1,000th game in management with a commanding performance at the Etihad Stadium, dismantling the Merseysiders 3-0 in a result that reaffirmed their Premier League title credentials.

It was a display that underlined the gulf in quality between the two sides on the day, with Manchester City showcasing ruthless precision, tactical control, and attacking cohesion to close the gap on Arsenal at the top of the table.

Erling Haaland continued his extraordinary scoring run by finding the opener after missing an early penalty. His towering header from Matheus Nunes’ pinpoint delivery gave City the lead and broke his personal scoring drought against Liverpool in games started by Virgil van Dijk.

Liverpool thought they had responded through their captain before the break, but a controversial decision to disallow Van Dijk’s header for offside halted their momentum, and became the key talking point of the afternoon among those of a Liverpool persuasion.

Manchester City doubled their advantage moments later as a Nico strike took a wicked deflection off Van Dijk, leaving Giorgi Mamardashvili helpless. Jeremy Doku added a sublime third midway through the second half, cutting inside from the left and curling a wonderful finish into the far corner to seal a comfortable and comprehensive victory.

Speaking with Sky Sports after Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, Arne Slot insisted on his belief that Chris Kavanagh and his fellow match officials’ decision to rule out Virgil Van Dijk’s first-half goal from a corner.

“I think it’s obvious and clear the wrong decision has been made, at least in my opinion. Because he [Andy Robertson] didn’t interfere at all with what the goalkeeper could do [from Virgil Van Dijk’s header],” said Slot.

The Dutchman continued, “Immediately after the game someone showed me a goal that the same referee [Chris Kavanagh] allowed in Wolves against City last season. It took the linesman 13 seconds to raise his flag to say it’s offside – there was clearly communication.”

However, despite feeling as though Liverpool were on the receiving end of an incorrect officiating decision, Arne Slot insisted that Manchester City remained the stronger side during the contest.

“Today I don’t think, apart from that decision [to disallow Liverpool’s goal], that it was ever going to be our game. You never know what would happen after a 1-1, but in general City were the better team.”

Despite Arne Slot’s frustration with officiating, few could argue with the overall outcome of the game as Guardiola’s side looked sharper, more structured, and full of confidence as they closed in on the Premier League summit once again.

For Liverpool, it was a harsh reminder of the work still to be done following a summer of widespread investment in their playing squad if they are to match the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City’s ongoing consistency and quality across 90 minutes.

Looking ahead, Arne Slot will hope to turn his team’s focus towards a response in their next outing, as Liverpool aim to rebound quickly and avoid losing further ground in the race for the top four after the international break. Manchester City, meanwhile, continue to gather momentum but face off away to Newcastle United after the November pause.