Erling Haaland struck a late penalty as Manchester City completed a 2-1 comeback win over Liverpool despite VAR drama in Sunday’s Premier League encounter.
The Norwegian converted from 12 yards in the third minute of stoppage-time after Bernando Silva had cancelled out Dominik Szoboszlai’s stunning opener.
The 25-year-old was then involved in a bizarre VAR decision late on in the clash as he played a huge role in both Szoboszlai’s sending off and Rayan Cherki’s disallowed goal.
Manchester City had not completed the double over Liverpool in the Premier League in 89 years, but needed a win to stay in touching distance of league leaders Arsenal, who had pulled nine points clear with a win over Sunderland on Saturday.
The Cityzens dominated the first half, but were denied by a determined Alisson Becker in the hosts goal as the game headed into the break goalless.
Liverpool upped their game in the second half and Hugo Ekitike missed a great chance to break the deadlock, before Marc Guehi, who could have been playing for the Reds, made a huge block to deny Florian Wirtz.
Szoboszlai broke the deadlock in the 74th minute with a stunning free-kick strike that left Gianluigi Donnarumma rooted to the spot.
However, Man City hit back in the 84th minute when Silva latched on to a knock down by Haaland and fired past Alisson.
The Brazilian goalkeeper then brought down Matheus Nunes in the box, allowing Haaland to put his side ahead and score his first goal at Anfield.
There was still much drama in the clash as Cherki scored from inside his own half, with Alisson left in no man’s land.
However, the goal was ruled out for a foul by Haaland on Szoboszlai as both players chased down Cherki’s attempt, while the Liverpool man was sent off for an initial foul on Haaland as he had denied a goalscoring opportunity.
Man City sealed the win and closed the gap to Arsenal to just six points ahead of their next clash against Fulham on Wednesday.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
