'Following the rules is all I ask!' - Arne Slot rages over 'clear' Marc Guehi red card escape as Mohamed Salah denied '100 out of 100' goal in Liverpool's defeat to Man City

The incident in question occurred during the second half of a heavyweight Premier League encounter on Merseyside. Szoboszlai fired the home side in front with a stunning long-range free-kick, but City claimed the spoils.

Bernardo Silva levelled matters, before Erling Haaland converted from the penalty spot after a VAR review ruled that Alisson had committed a clumsy foul inside the box. Rayan Cherki thought he had scored a third late on, but another review led to a Szoboszlai seeing red for a tug on Haaland before the ball rolled into an empty net.

Slot was understandably disappointed at the final whistle, but feels that the match officials did his side few favours - with England international Guehi felling Salah on the edge of the box at one stage when the Egyptian forward was looking to race in on goal.

Slot told reporters, having been frustrated by a number of big calls in meetings with City across his two seasons as Liverpool manager: “When you ask me about what decision, I thought what do you mean, the disallowed goal at City, the penalty they got in the away game against us, the clear red card on Mo Salah in the second half here, or the penalty they got in the second half, or do you mean this [Szoboszlai red card] decision?

“That's only over two games, and the ones that follow Liverpool know how many decisions I can come up with in all the other games as well, all the big decisions that could have gone in some situation to a 50-50.

“I can live with the fact, although I don't like it, that the referee follows the rulebook and Dominik makes a foul on Haaland in that situation which is a clear shirt-pull and he was through on goal so he would have scored. That's a red card. I think the Sunderland manager [Liverpool’s next opponents] is really happy he gives a red card.

“If you follow the rulebook, and you have a clear shirt-pull by Guehi on Mo Salah, who for eight years has been scoring that ball 100 times out of 100 - a bit of an exaggeration - and it is not a red card, then there is more of my frustration.

“I can live with the red card for Dom. If you like football you say 'ah, leave it as a goal, it's good for them and good for everyone' but as the Sunderland manager you prefer to see it as a red card. That's the rule and following the rules is all I ask...My main frustration is in the shirt-pull on Mo Salah at 0-0, clear and open, one vs one on the goalkeeper.”

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A 2-1 defeat to City leaves Liverpool sixth in the Premier League table, five points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester United in the race for Champions League qualification.

Slot added on his emotions after a wild encounter with Guardiola’s Blues: “I am feeling anger and disappointment. First half, City were the better team on the pitch without creating that many big chances except the one from Haaland in the first minutes. They played better with the ball, but the improvement we have made since three or four months ago was visible for everyone.

“Second half, our standards went up, in terms of intensity, we were pressing them all over the place and that is the biggest improvement we have made in the last two or three months.

“That the whole [team] is capable against one [of] the teams that is probably best, maybe the best team in England in ball possession, to do so well off the ball is a big improvement. A fantastic second half. I was expecting more than being one goal up and then two goals conceded.”

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