However, the strike was ruled out following a VAR intervention for shirt-pulling in the build-up as Szoboszlai was sent off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. He pulled back Haaland as the pair battled to reach the ball first, with the City striker also grabbing his rival’s shirt. After checking the pitchside monitor, referee Craig Pawson ruled out the goal, awarded a free-kick to City and showed Szoboszlai the red card.
Neville, who was on co-commentary duties for Sky Sports, was left totally baffled by the decision and suggested that VAR had robbed fans of a truly iconic moment.
He fumed: “Oh, no. I honestly can’t believe that’s going to happen because the first foul is Szoboszlai on Haaland. I think the referee saw that they both fouled each other. I just don’t get this.
“Look, he’s fouled him there, that’s a foul. He’s saying you cannot play advantage, but then ignores that. It feels so unjust. I know there are rules but there is a smell of the game. It’s completely gone.
“I don’t think he will be okay, the referee, because he will realise that he made the right decision [initially]. There is no football person who would disallow that goal but it’s going to be disallowed. He [Szoboszlai] will walk.
“Talk about a killjoy. Liverpool lose by getting a man sent off. City lose by not getting a goal. Everyone is just asking the question. Just let the goal be, let the goal be. You’ve just killed one of the great moments of the season.
“They cannot play advantage because of the clear foul from Haaland on Szoboszlai, so they’ve unravelled everything back to nothing.
“Nobody is happy, the Liverpool fans know it’s not right and the City fans know it’s not right. There will be somebody saying that rules are rules but that doesn’t feel right at all.”
Once play had resumed, Neville added: “You live to watch games like this and I actually have been a fan of VAR and it does get some things right.
“That one has just killed the joy in a big moment in a big football match that contributes a lot to this season’s title race.
“The result is the same, so it is what it is, but the reason you come to watch football matches is for entertainment and moments like that. I think if the referee has got any brains whatsoever, he will just blow up immediately.”