Arne Slot’s Liverpool and Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City may not have begun the 2025/26 Premier League season in their usual dominant fashion, but their meeting at the Etihad delivered all the drama fans could ask for—especially following the controversial decision to disallow Virgil van Dijk’s first-half goal.
The game, often seen as a battle between two of England’s elite sides, saw Erling Haaland open the scoring just before the 30-minute mark. Moments later, Liverpool thought they had equalized when Van Dijk powered home a header past Gianluigi Donnarumma. The celebrations were short-lived, however, as the referee ruled the goal out for offside.
Officials explained that Andy Robertson was positioned in front of Donnarumma and was deemed to have interfered with the goalkeeper’s line of sight. Although replays appeared to show Robertson ducking as the header flew in, VAR confirmed the on-field decision.
In an official statement, the Premier League clarified:
“The on-field decision of offside and no goal for Liverpool was checked and confirmed by VAR — Robertson was in an offside position and was considered to be making a clear action that affected the goalkeeper.”
The ruling sparked widespread debate. Sky Sports pundits Gary Neville and Micah Richards criticized the call during halftime, with Neville describing it as “extremely harsh.”
Liverpool supporters flooded social media with frustration, branding the decision a “robbery” and “a disgrace,” arguing that the goal should have stood.
To make matters worse for the Reds, their misfortune deepened before halftime. Bernardo Silva set up Nico Gonzalez on the edge of the box, whose shot deflected off Van Dijk, leaving goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili helpless and compounding a difficult first half for Slot’s men
