Jamie Carragher & Micah Richards give verdicts on controversial moment in Man City 1-1 Liverpool

Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards agreed Manchester City were unfortunate to see Ruben Dias’ goal disallowed in the second half of Saturday's draw against Liverpool.

The Premier League’s top two sides played out a slightly underwhelming 1-1 draw at the Etihad, with Erling Haaland and Trent Alexander-Arnold on target. But the latter’s 80th-minute equaliser could have proved meaningless had Dias’ goal stood around 10 minutes before.

Manuel Akanji was deemed to have fouled Alisson in the build-up, with the defender’s arm leaning into the Liverpool goalkeeper as a cross came into the box. The ball then slipped through his hands and was tapped in by the graciously waiting Dias. A quick VAR check didn’t overturn Chris Kavanagh’s on-field decision that the goal should not stand, meaning City stayed just one goal ahead at the time.

Carragher felt the disallowed goal was harsh and claimed Kavanagh’s decision proved vital in VAR's final verdict. “For me, Liverpool and Alisson are extremely lucky,” the ex-Liverpool defender said on Sky Sports. 

“If the referee doesn’t give that, VAR are not saying that’s a foul. There’s no way in the world. A goalkeeper of his quality… it’s hardly anything. 

“It’s like a centre-back and a centre-forward challenging for a header,” he continued. “He hasn’t got his hand above his arm. What it reminds me of is the Newcastle v Arsenal situation - it was probably 50/50 on was it a foul on Gabriel.

“But the fact the referee hadn’t given it, it was never going to be overturned. Even if it was a foul, we want Gabriel to be stronger. There, from a Liverpool point of view, I’m thinking I want my goalkeeper to be dealing with that. If the referee doesn’t blow his whistle that will be a goal and we can argue if it is a foul, but you would still think your goalkeeper has to deal with that.”

It was a view Richards agreed with. “Alisson pushes him first and then he tries to go back into Alisson. It’s very soft, if I’m being honest. He [Akanji] is not stopping him put his arm up, he’s sort of used it as a guide.”