Controversial Man City vs Liverpool decision the right one says former ref

Man City and Liverpool played out a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday and the Premier League champions would have felt unlucky to have had one of their goals ruled out.

The hosts took the lead in the first half through an Erling Haaland goal and City believed they had made the scoreline 2-0 when Ruben Dias tapped home from a corner in the second 45. However, the referee ruled that Manuel Akanji had fouled Alisson which forced the keeper to drop the ball that he had caught.

Former referee Dermot Gallagher discussed the disallowed goal on Sky Sports News on Monday morning and he believed the decision was the correct one.

The former Premier League official said via Manchester Evening News: “People say goalkeepers are over-protected but you only have to knock him slightly off balance and he’s lost all stability, he can’t catch the ball and he loses it.

“I think he knocks him enough off balance to give a foul. And when he hits [Akanji’s arm], he loses the ball. Definitely [the right decision].”

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Had the goal stood, it would have almost guaranteed that Man City would take all three points; therefore, the decision was a huge one but not everyone agreed with it.

Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports after the match that he felt Liverpool had got “extremely lucky” as there was not much in it.

The goal was a mistake by Alisson and Akanji’s contact is very light. It is an extremely harsh decision but by the law, it was the correct one as the goalkeeper in the modern game cannot be interfered with.