Chapter 1: What were the key moments in Liverpool's loss to Manchester City?
Welcome into the latest edition of ESPN FC. I'm Dan Thomas. Joined by Craig Burley and Stevie Nicker, we'll kick things off at Anfield. Liverpool taking on Manchester City. First half wasn't the best in this game, to be honest. Haaland had an early chance, City had the better of it. One talking point, maybe. Salah could have had a penalty with a challenge from Silva.
I'm okay with the referee's decision. Liverpool better in the second half. In fact, Slott felt that maybe Salah should have earned a red card against Gehi. He was brought down just outside the box. Was he denying a goal-scoring opportunity, Steering? 100%. It was just a yellow card that was given. Liverpool, though, would take the lead in some style.
An exceptional free kick from Sobiswai would make it 1-0. But then City would get the equaliser 10 minutes later. Haaland into Silva to make it 1-1. And then Alisson comes out.
Chapter 2: What controversial refereeing decisions impacted the Liverpool vs. Manchester City match?
commits the foul, draws the penalty, and Manchester City have the chance to take a 2-1 lead, a chance that's taken by Erling Haaland to make it 2-1. And then it was 3-1, however the goal would be chalked off, Alisson was at one end trying to get the equaliser, Chirky would play it from the halfway line into an open goal, Haaland and Sobislai will be running towards the ball.
Sobislai pulls Haaland and then Haaland pulls Sobislai. The ball goes in the back of the net. The referee looks at VAR, but then the foul is given against Sobislai. It is a red card for the Hungarian. Liverpool down to 10 men. The goal chalked off. Manchester City win the game by two goals to one.
Chapter 3: How did Liverpool perform in the second half against Manchester City?
Right, for more, let's welcome in, shall we, Frank Leboeuf. We'll go to Frank in a moment. It's not often this man comes in with a still in his phone. Yes, that was for the Salah, should it have been a red card? But I don't want to talk about incidents overall. In general, how would you sum up this game? I thought Liverpool were excellent in the second half, for the most part.
I think the goal, Bernardo Silva goal, you saw... The issue is with playing a midfielder at right back because he's not got the instincts to step out and he plays them onside. But that apart, I thought they played some great stuff. I think we talked about City's second half performances on Friday.
They hadn't scored a goal in the second half of a match this year, this calendar year up until today. They just seemed to switch off and they couldn't handle Liverpool. But once again, they couldn't keep a clean sheet. City bossed the first half without creating, they created that chance for Haaland early on, but that was it.
And once again, they showed their frailties, but somehow managed to grind out three points, which keeps it alive, I suppose, in some sense, but not really the way they're playing. They're not going to convince anybody that they can put a title charge on the way they're playing. But numerically, I suppose they're still in it. But Liverpool must be kicking themselves because they had this game.
They were in total control and then they were not. It just didn't take those chances. Florian Wurz obviously had a good opportunity after the Ekotiki backheel. We mentioned, of course, the Ekotiki header that went wide. Liverpool better in the second half, but you've got to get it done. Yeah, to be honest, I'd like to start in the first half. Sure.
I've never seen a Liverpool side as negative and sitting on the edge of the box at Anfield against anybody. I mean, that's what they did. They took no part in the game. So it could only get better.
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Chapter 4: What were the reactions to Kylian Mbappe's performance against Valencia?
And the fact that it was kicking into the cup, then we saw what they're capable of. But then again, listen, it's bad enough, the Mo Salah thing, should have been a red card in my opinion, but I think what made me the angriest of all was the way, after they scored, after Slobber's life scores, they've got the momentum, they've got City by the throat, they go and sit on top of the box again.
They completely just stood off. Is that slots doing? The first half, 100%, the slot's doing. I think the fact that Liverpool have lost so many goals this season, the way they have, players automatically take a step back. But then that's when the manager, I guess, has to step in and say, get yourself up. But that was the biggest thing that annoyed me, though.
You go ahead, the game's there for you, and you take a step back and you sit on the top of your box and then it falls apart. Is that fair, Frank?
Chapter 5: Can Real Madrid win La Liga this season after their victory over Valencia?
It is fair. And I don't get it. I mean, really, it was a big surprise because Craig alluded it. We know that Manchester City doesn't do much things in the second half. And it's been that for a long time. And when Sobosai scored, I said, OK, game over because we didn't see much from City. And Liverpool... They got it away and didn't do what they had to do.
But we have to talk also about the two centre-backs, you know, and the way they work together. I mean, on the first goal, of course, on Silva, where I don't know who's going out and don't work together or don't work. You know, they don't talk to each other. I don't know how they work. It's like they don't know each other anymore, Van Dijk and Konate.
And on the second goal, of course, it's another thing. But really, I'm... I'm concerned about Liverpool. I'm concerned about the fact that the players that were there last year are not getting back to even 20% of what they've been. And that's annoying and worrying for me. Only Slobodzaj today, again, and Ikitike at some point were good. But the others, I'm very concerned.
And for City, that was magical, really. Coming from nowhere, those two goals. Coming from nowhere.
Let's talk about the incidents. If you wouldn't mind, can we start with the last incident? Because that's what everyone was talking about, which I thought was quite interesting. Because by the letter of the law, they did everything right.
Yet people are coming out, even our own Mark Ogden has come out and said, ridiculous far decision, just let the goal stand, two fouls and the ball ends up in the back of the net. A bunch of journalists in the UK, not just Oggy. People that I thought would have a lot more sense.
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Chapter 6: What challenges does Liverpool face in their quest for a top-five finish?
Now, that's... At that point, does Haaland go and put it in without fouling? It's fine. So that's the red card offence, if there's not another offence, which there was. Now, he fouls him here, so the goal can't stand. The goal cannot stand.
And for those that say... When I was watching it, I said, he's got to pull that back for the red card on Sabozlai and give a free kick, because you can't foul somebody that's potentially going to clear the ball. And the other point is for those that say, no, this is the spirit of the game and the VR and whatnot. You can't just give a goal because at that point, the game was 2-1.
And even if there was 15 or 20 seconds left, which there was, had Ryan Cherky, who blasted the ball over the bar with a free kick, had he turned round, with a free kick and tried to play Sam Smart back the way and giving it away, within five or 10 seconds Liverpool could have scored an equaliser.
So you can't just go, oh, I'll allow the goal because that's the spirit of the game when the game technically was still in the balance. So they were absolutely spot on. And I just don't understand the killing of the game. And they're blaming VAR for this, most people. Pep and Slot both said the goal should have stood. Just let it go. I initially did. but his nibs here just convinced me.
Because he's right, the bit I didn't think about that he said, if there's 10 seconds left, you can still score a goal.
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Chapter 7: How does the current state of Liverpool's defense affect their performance?
I was absolutely 100% going to come out with the spirit of the game. Referees, they're too busy refereeing from a book. The best thing to do would have been just to leave the goal because the game was over. And then just that little line, he said, when there's 10 seconds left, you can score a goal. So I'm sorry, I'm with you now. Stevie, they were looking at what to do, Cherky.
They were going to play the ball in the corner, try and keep it. Then he blasted it over the bar. The referee did not blow at that point. He allowed Alisson to take the goal kick and launch it up the field. He said he cleared it, and only at that point did he blow. Had he lumped it up the field, Alisson had been flicked on and somebody had rocked it in the back of the net. The game's 2-2.
So you cannot just turn up and say, ah, listen, there was a foul there and then there was another foul, so two wrongs. Let the goal stand. No. No, no, no, you can't because clearly Haaland fouled Sabozlai. So they have to go back. This is ludicrous just to say, particularly when a game is still not over. Oh, let's spirit the game. Just two fouls, one for each. Let the goal go in.
Frank, you're romantic. Would you not like to have seen this goal stunned?
No, not at all. There are rules in football and it's not because a foul follows another foul that it cancels the first foul. That doesn't make any sense. We're not playing football in the street. Down the street, there are rules and you have to accept that. And it was a clear mistake from Slobodzaj because he couldn't carry on with the pace of Alan.
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Chapter 8: What insights did the guests provide about the future of Liverpool and Real Madrid?
And therefore... It's only fair that the goal is cancelled, that there is a red card and there is a free kick. I'm 100% with the guys and well done the refs. That's what he had to be and it was well said.
He would have ignored the Sabozlai pool. had nothing else going on. Yeah, absolutely. He would just have ignored them. And they'd have been like, that's because the Harlem pool then... It's not changed... It's not had a material impact in the game had the second offence not taken place. And again, the crux of the matter is the game was not dead at that point. Technically, we're 15-26.
You're 100% right. But I think all of those things that we're talking about that people have said was straight after the game. And I can assure you... I had to do a digital. I was angry. Oh. And I had all kinds of stuff going through my head. And that's when I came out with a, well, they should just have, they should have cancelled each file out, blah, blah, blah.
Do you want to go back and do it again? But now that, now that the dust has settled. Post-match press. conference you're angry. Well it is. You see things straight after the game that had you been given half an hour or an hour to calm down and think about it rationally then you would see a different thing.
Well Slot said in his press conference afterwards look if you're going to send Swabishlai off with a red card for denying a goal scoring opportunity then Gay should have been sent off as well for doing the same on Salah earlier in the game. Where do you stand on this Stevie? I don't understand how he's not given a red card
You know, and the best thing about it, the best thing about it is, is it's really clear. You know, there's no interpretation here. If you deny somebody a goal-scoring opportunity, then it's a red card. And there's no way that Diaz is getting over there. And there's no way that Salah's not getting on the end of that. So that's going to be a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, with Donnarumma.
That, in my book, that reads... a goal-scoring opportunity. So it has to be a red. There's not one argument you can give me that will tell me to change my mind. Frank?
I totally agree with Stevie, but I think what the referee just saw is that Diaz maybe had an opportunity to disturb Salah. I think the only reason why they didn't put the red card on Gabe, because that was a fair one, a deserved one, and there was nothing to complain about. And I agree with you. I don't think Diaz could have interfered. It was too late. It was too far away, maybe.
But I think the referee in the booth, they thought that he was capable of going there and, again, disturb Salah to avoid the goal. So don't blame the referee, Craig Boston, here.
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