Jamie Carragher was critical of Alisson Becker over the penalty incident which led to Manchester City’s stoppage-time winner at Anfield on Sunday.
After Dominik Szoboszlai had opened the scoring with a long-range free kick, Bernardo Silva had equalised, with the teams level at 1-1 going into added time before all hell broke loose.
In the 91st minute, the Liverpool goalkeeper clattered into Matheus Nunes in the penalty area, and referee Craig Pawson pointed to the spot, with Erling Haaland converting the subsequent kick with what ultimately proved to be the winning goal.
Of course, that wasn’t the end of the drama as Rayan Cherki had an even later goal disallowed after a VAR intervention which resulted in our Hungarian midfielder being sent off for denying Man City’s number 9 a clear goalscoring opportunity as they both chased the ball before it crossed the line.
Carragher calls out Alisson over penalty incident
Speaking on punditry duty for Sky Sports after the match, Carragher called out Alisson for the rush of blood which led to him taking down Nunes and giving away the penalty from which Haaland scored the winner.
The ex-Liverpool defender said: “A lot of Liverpool’s season is about mistakes you cannot believe from players of that calibre. Van Dijk at Bournemouth, Alisson today. You can’t believe a goalkeeper of his calibre makes the decision to do that for the penalty.”
A costly misjudgement by Alisson on another dark day for Liverpool
Did the Reds’ number 1 have to come charging out to try and get to the ball, which looked set to roll out of play for a goal kick had it not been for the colliison with Nunes?
Perhaps the goalkeeper was fearful that, had he not come out, the Man City player may have gotten to the ball and had space for a shot, but the 33-year-old ultimately misjudged it and gave Pawson a decision to make.
While Liverpool will have to take their medicine on that one, there were a couple of other incidents which’ll leave a sour taste.
The VAR intervention which led to Szoboszlai’s red card is one, and there was also a clear tug on Mo Salah’s shirt by Marc Guehi which could easily have been interpreted as denial of a goalscoring opportunity, but saw the England defender get away with just a yellow card.
Unfortunately, another game of fine margins has gone against the Reds, who now find themselves five points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester United and facing a tall order just to salvage Champions League qualification after a weekend where everything went wrong for the Merseysiders.
It was a brilliant free kick from Szobszlai but you have to ask how can you then go on and lose the game.
It’s happened too many times now, any amount of pressure and we wilt. This is not the best Manchester city team, they are a shadow of what they were a few years ago. From the first game at Wembley against palace to the game at Anfield against Bournemouth the balance of the team hasn’t been right. Between attacking and defending, with and without the ball.
That down to one man the coach, the manager slot.
We have some tremendous talent but we are underachieving because of slot. Aston villa should never be above us after we’ve spent 450 million in the summer. Neither should the worst Manchester United side and the worst Chelsea teams we’ve seen in years in the premier league. We should never be losing three times to crystal palace either. We competed at the top consistently because we had klopp, a top coach with a gameplan that worked.
We are in decline under a coach with a far better squad than klopp ever had, without a gameplan an identity that relies on individuals. We are not a team under slot. Tepid football without a midfield to control games. Beating Newcastle was a false picture, outplayed at home for 35 minutes. We haven’t beaten any promoted teams. On the decision to agree to sell diaz he should be sacked on that alone. The three stooges slot Edwards Hughes.
Selling one of the best players Diaz. That’s what you call clueless. That started the rot.
What did Jamie carragher say about the chances of Liverpool being In the top five. No. He said.
Far too open, got away with it against Newcastle but not against Bournemouth and again today against Manchester city. Carragher said that slot needs to again change something, playing four attacking players isn’t going to get champions league next season.
So you look at the manager and he packs the midfield when we were losing games, doesn’t play wingers, he’s now gone back to a two in midfield and we are shipping goals. Plan A failed a 4231 with wirtz. Ditched plan b, pack the midfield. Reverts to four up front playing counter attacking football inconsistency because there’s no identity or idea from slot.
How can you explain this.. Chelsea and Manchester United appoint new manager’s and they they are more organised than us. They look more of a team than we are under slot. Massive improvement from Manchester United and Chelsea In just four games.
Slot inherited a good team from klopp, he was given 450 million and has been the manager for 1 year and 8 months and we are getting worse not better.
Go and look at the premier league table. Villa, Chelsea and Manchester United above us.
At any big football club with ambition you get sacked.