Referee Chris Kavanagh swiftly disallowed the goal, believing Manuel Akanji fouled Alisson during the corner kick. Akanji’s slight nudge affected Alisson’s grip on the ball, prompting Kavanagh’s decision.
Despite Man City’s hopes for VAR intervention, it upheld Kavanagh’s on-field call, a stance challenged by former players Craig Pearce and Dean Saunders on talkSPORT. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s subsequent equalizer intensified the debate.
Pearce noted the minimal contact, deeming it non-foul-worthy elsewhere on the pitch but acknowledging contemporary refereeing trends. Saunders countered, insisting Akanji’s actions constituted a clear foul by grabbing Alisson’s arm and leaning on him.
TalkSPORT commentator Sam Matterface, adopting a neutral stance, deemed it a soft call, suggesting it might reflect poor goalkeeping from Alisson, who, according to Pearce, might have anticipated the contact and played for the foul.
Saunders remained adamant about the foul, while Pearce emphasized the disagreement illustrated the decision’s ambiguity, hinting at no clear and obvious error by the referee.
Matterface contributed that, considering today’s rules, the incident could be seen as a keeper-touch taboo, to which Saunders emphasized the prohibition against touching the keeper.
