Dominik Szoboszlai will be absent from Liverpool‘s upcoming fixture at Sunderland after receiving a red card against Manchester City. The Hungarian was dismissed in unusual circumstances after the Liverpool midfielder sprinted back alongside Erling Haaland, before tumbling to the ground whilst pursuing Rayan Cherki’s late strike.
Cherki believed he had scored from the halfway line with Alisson Becker stranded out of position, but following a VAR intervention, referee Craig Pawson brought the incident back. Szoboszlai was deemed to have prevented a clear goalscoring chance after hauling back the Norwegian during their sprint before the pair became entangled and fell. Pawson disallowed the goal and brought play back after the advantage failed to materialise from Szoboszlai’s tug on Haaland.
With the dismissal, he will now serve a one-match ban for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity (DOGSO) instead of three matches for other sending-off offences.
It means Szoboszlai will be eligible for selection in next weekend’s FA Cup tie with Brighton and Hove Albion and the journey to Nottingham Forest on February 22.
But for Liverpool, it signifies they now have one less option for their journey to the North East after Szoboszlai had been deployed at right-back.
Arne Slot has already had to navigate selection dilemmas due to injuries to Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong, while Joe Gomez has faced his own challenges.
The Premier League Match Centre explained: “After VAR review, the referee overturned the original decision of goal to Manchester City.”
On the pitch, Pawson announced to the crowd: “After review, there is a careless foul by Erling Haaland, that pulls the shirt of Dominik Szoboszlai.
“Prior to that, Szoboszlai commits a holding offence that denies an obvious goal scoring opportunity. The final decision is a direct free kick to Manchester City and a red card.”
Szoboszlai had put Liverpool in front with just 15 minutes left on the clock with a brilliant free-kick.
However, City responded through Bernardo Silva and Haaland in the dying moments to flip the match on its head.
Silva slipped behind the Reds defence to poke home before a moment of madness from Alisson Becker saw the Brazilian collide with Matheus Nunes in the penalty area.
Brentford are level on points with Liverpool after their impressive 3-2 victory at Newcastle United but the Reds stay in sixth based on goals scored.
Liverpool travel to the North East in midweek but they face a Sunderland team who are yet to lose at home this season.