It was a nightmare afternoon for Arne Slot and his Liverpool squad, who fell 3-0 to Pep Guardiola’s dominant Manchester City — a match that also marked Guardiola’s incredible 1000th game as a manager.
Despite a lively start, Liverpool quickly lost control. Erling Haaland, who had earlier missed a penalty saved by stand-in goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, eventually broke the deadlock in the 29th minute. The Georgian shot-stopper’s early heroics couldn’t prevent what turned into a long, frustrating evening for the Reds.
Moments later, Virgil van Dijk thought he had restored parity for Liverpool — only for VAR to intervene. After review, Andy Robertson was judged offside in the buildup, leading to the goal being ruled out.
Shortly after the game, the Premier League released a statement defending the decision:
> “The referee’s call of offside and no goal for Liverpool was checked and confirmed by VAR – with Robertson in an offside position and deemed to be making an obvious action directly in front of the goalkeeper.”
That controversial call seemed to kill Liverpool’s momentum. Before halftime, Nico Gonzalez doubled City’s lead with a clinical finish, and in the second half, Jeremy Doku sealed the win with a stunning strike — leaving Anfield fans fuming.
While many criticized Liverpool’s flat display, much of the anger online was aimed at Ibrahima Konaté. Supporters slammed his attitude and focus, accusing him of being distracted by Real Madrid transfer rumours.
One fan vented, “Get Konaté out in January — his head’s already in Madrid!” Another added, “His passing’s poor, his defending’s worse — total liability.”
By full-time, frustration had turned to fury. Between the controversial VAR ruling, defensive errors, and growing fan unrest, it was a day to forget for Liverpool — and one that’s sure to spark plenty of debate in the days ahead.
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