OFFICIAL: Premier League issues urgent statement after Liverpool vs Man City match

The Premier League has officially clarified the choice to neither call a penalty nor show a red card in the clash involving Marc Guehi and Mohamed Salah, a situation that sparked major debate at Anfield.

The fierce battle between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield was thrilling not only because of the scoreline but also due to dramatic decisions made by the referees. The main controversy arose in the 68th minute when Man City's defender Marc Guehi pulled Mohamed Salah down just outside the penalty area.

While the crowd at Anfield loudly demanded a penalty and a red card for the English defender, referee Craig Pawson only awarded a direct free kick and showed a yellow card.

Facing intense backlash, the Premier League Match Operations Centre quickly released an official statement on social media platform X to clarify the VAR process.

The statement clearly said: "The decision to award a free kick and show a yellow card to Guehi for the foul on Salah was reviewed and confirmed by VAR – the foul occurred outside the penalty area and was not deemed a clear denial of a goal-scoring opportunity due to the presence of a covering defender."

Agreeing with this assessment, expert Gary Neville commented on Sky Sports: "That was the correct call. I don’t think Salah could have reached that ball. Dias was right there and would have provided cover in time. Ultimately, the referee made the right conclusion." Reporter Vinny O'Connor also expressed surprise that VAR took time to consider a red card, given the ball had already moved far beyond Salah’s reach.

This incident became even more ironic because Marc Guehi was once Liverpool’s top transfer target last summer with a price tag of $48 million, but the deal fell through at the last moment. His subsequent move to Man City for a lower fee ($27 million) and his return to Anfield to "disappoint" his former club led to a very hostile reception for the defender.

Although Liverpool later took the lead thanks to a stunning free kick by Dominik Szoboszlai, Guehi’s avoidance of a red card was seen as a turning point that helped Man City maintain their squad strength and set the stage for a dramatic 2-1 comeback in stoppage time.