Former referees chief Keith Hackett has criticized referee Chris Kavanagh for a major error during Manchester City’s clash with Liverpool, describing the decision as “simply poor” and questioning the judgment used in awarding a penalty.
The Premier League showdown at the Etihad Stadium was highly anticipated, with both City and Liverpool looking to narrow the gap on leaders Arsenal. Earlier in the day, Arsenal had drawn 2-2 with Sunderland, keeping the title race intriguingly open. City entered the match seven points behind Arsenal, while Liverpool trailed by eight, setting the stage for a potentially pivotal encounter.
The controversy arose early in the game when Jeremy Doku went down in the box under minimal contact from Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili. Kavanagh initially allowed play to continue but, after consulting VAR, awarded a penalty, stating, “After review, the goalkeeper commits a foul challenge on the attacker, the final decision is penalty.”
Hackett, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, strongly disagreed with the call: “I’m simply amazed that a penalty was given when no genuine offense occurred. You need absolute certainty in these situations. Thankfully, it was saved, sparing the match officials from further scrutiny. This was a truly poor decision; there was no foul and therefore no justification for a penalty.”
Justice, in some form, was served when Erling Haaland missed the resulting penalty. However, City still capitalized on their opportunities, with Haaland scoring a spectacular header and Nico Gonzalez adding a long-range strike to secure victory over a struggling Liverpool side.
Doku’s second-half goal ultimately sealed the three points for City, bringing them within four points of Arsenal. For Liverpool, the loss extends their gap to eight points behind the leaders, raising serious questions about their ability to defend the title.
Matt Le Tissier had predicted a Liverpool title win at the end of September, but the Reds’ lack of confidence, authority, and signs of fatigue against City suggest that prediction may now be in serious doubt
