(Football news) A brilliant goal by Mohamed Salah sealed a 1-0 victory for Liverpool over reigning champions Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday. The Egyptian scored the fastest hattrick in Champions League history last week against Rangers and continued his red hot form by controlling a long kick by goalkeeper Alisson, spinning away from Joao Cancelo and beating Ederson with a clinical finish in the 76th minute. 

One of the biggest talking points of the fixture was Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp getting a red card in the closing stages when the German reacted furiously to a freekick not being given when Bernardo Silva appeared to have fouled Salah. Guardiola also had an angry moment earlier in the match when a goal by Phil Foden was disallowed by the VAR as Erling Haaland had fouled Fabinho during the build up. With a 13 point gap between the two teams, Liverpool had pressure firmly piled up on them after their worst start in the league in 10 years but displayed a majestic performance to become only the second team to deny Erling Haaland a chance to score. 

As for City, the loss meant an end to their unbeaten start in the league and four points now separate them from league leaders Arsenal who defeated Leeds 1-0 earlier in the day. Guardiola only made one change in the starting lineup with Ilkay Gundogan replacing Riyad Mahrez while Erling Haaland featured in the team once again after being rested in the midweek Champions League fixture. For Liverpool, with Ibrahima Konate’s injury, Joe Gomez started in central defence while James Milner played in right back due to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s injury. 

Speaking after the match, City manager Pep Guardiola said this about the disallowed goal “The referee came to the coaches and said, 'play on, play on'. There were a million fouls. But after we scored a goal, he decided he would not play on. This is Anfield. We had [enough] chances. We had some fantastic chances. All the game we were brave, we played the game we should play and I don't have any complaints or regrets over how we have done it. We had chances but not enough to do it. We made a good process to not allow them transitions. In general the back three was brilliant." 

Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva said “What we expect from the referees is consistency in the decisions and when you go through a path of not whistling little contacts throughout the whole game, you need to keep those decisions and keep going that way. If you want to whistle all of them, whistle all of them, but if from the beginning of the game you're not – he was letting us play which is good – then if there's a goal you cannot whistle that soft one. If you want consistency from the referee you cannot change just because there's a goal and just because it's a tough decision, you have to make the tough decision and keep the goal." 

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said “Result, perfect; performance, really, really good in an incredibly intense game. We defended at an incredibly high level for 99 minutes and had really good footballing moments. We scored one goal and could have scored more. They had their moments as well but, especially in the box, we did extremely well. We won nearly all the duels. I think there was one free header from Haaland. We showed up today and that's what we wanted to do."

When asked about his red card, Klopp replied “In the end, probably deserved. But, that situation, you cannot not whistle. After all the things that happened on the pitch, I don't know what Mo Salah has to do to get a free-kick. Pep [Guardiola] and I agreed on the touchline. We didn't understand the challenges which were allowed and all these kinds of things. Why would you do it? Both sides. The game would not be a little bit worse, but we have to take that, we are on the weak side of it. We have no power at all. At this moment, something switched off, I'm not proud of that. But it's the clearest foul I ever saw, in front of the linesman, and he says play on. How can you let that situation go? It's clear he pulled him down. Sometimes we get a bit carried away, and that's what happened to me at that moment." 

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