Arne Slot Questions No Red Card for Guehi in Liverpool Loss to Man City

Liverpool Manager Arne Slot Expresses Frustration Over Controversial Decisions in Loss to Manchester City

Arne Slot, the Liverpool manager, voiced strong dissatisfaction with several officiating decisions following his team’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester City at Anfield on February 8, 2026. While acknowledging the late drama of the match – a disallowed Rayan Cherki goal and a subsequent red card for Dominik Szoboszlai – Slot focused his ire on a perceived injustice earlier in the second half: a clear shirt-pull by Manchester City’s Marc Guehi on Mohamed Salah that went unpunished beyond a yellow card.

The match saw Liverpool take the lead through a stunning free-kick from Dominik Szoboszlai in the 74th minute. However, City responded quickly with an equalizer from Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland secured the win for the visitors with an injury-time penalty. The late penalty was awarded after Alisson Becker rushed out of his goal and collided with Mateus Nunes, despite Nunes having lost control of the ball.

Slot’s post-match comments centered on the consistency – or lack thereof – in the application of the rules. He questioned why a clear foul on Salah, which he believes would have resulted in a goal for the Egyptian, was not deemed worthy of a red card, while Szoboszlai was sent off for a similar infraction on Haaland. “When you ask me about what decision, I thought what do you mean, the disallowed goal at City, the penalty they got in the away game against us, the clear red card on Mo Salah in the second half here, or the penalty they got in the second half, or do you mean this (Szoboszlai red card) decision?” Slot stated, highlighting a pattern of perceived unfavorable calls.

The incident involving Guehi and Salah occurred early in the second half, with Guehi clearly impeding Salah’s progress as he attempted to break towards goal. Slot emphasized the frequency with which he feels Liverpool are on the receiving end of questionable decisions. “That’s only over two games, and the ones that follow Liverpool know how many decisions I can come up with in all the other games as well, all the big decisions that could have gone in some situation to a 50-50,” he explained.

While acknowledging the Szoboszlai red card was technically correct under the rules, Slot expressed a degree of resignation. “I can live with the fact, although I don’t like it, that the referee follows the rulebook and Dominik makes a foul on Haaland in that situation which is a clear shirt-pull and he was through on goal so he would have scored. That’s a red card.” He then wryly suggested the Sunderland manager might appreciate the consistency of the decision, implying a perceived bias in officiating.

The frustration extended to the late penalty decision. Slot conceded the contact between Alisson and Nunes occurred, but questioned the interpretation of the incident given the ball was already out of play. “There is contact, One can’t debate that, the ball is out of play, we can’t debate that, when he makes the foul he can’t get the ball anymore,” Slot said. However, he reiterated that his primary concern remained the unpunished foul on Salah. “My main frustration is in the shirt-pull on Mo Salah at 0-0. Clear and open, one vs one on the goalkeeper.”

Slot’s comments underscore a growing sense of unease at Liverpool regarding officiating decisions. He repeatedly stressed his desire for consistent application of the rules, even if it doesn’t always benefit his team. “I can live with the red card for Dom. If you like football you say, ‘ah, leave it as a goal, it’s good for them and good for everyone’, but as the Sunderland manager you prefer to see it as a red card,” he stated, illustrating his point with a touch of sarcasm.

The defeat leaves Liverpool facing an uphill battle in the Premier League title race, and Slot will undoubtedly be hoping for more favorable decisions from referees in the coming weeks. The team now faces a selection crisis ahead of their match against Sunderland, adding to the challenges facing the new Liverpool manager. The focus, however, remains on ensuring a fairer application of the rules, particularly when it comes to protecting key players like Mohamed Salah from blatant fouls.

Marc Guehi himself has not yet publicly commented on the incident with Salah, but Slot’s strong words are likely to fuel further debate about the standard of officiating in the Premier League. The Liverpool manager concluded by stating, “Following the rulebook is all I ask.”