Should Man City’s ‘clever’ goal against Liverpool have been ruled out?
It was a goal straight off the training ground and one that earned Manchester City‘s set-piece coach Carlos Vicens a big thumbs up from manager Pep Guardiola.
Gary Neville called it “genius”, Roy Keane “absolutely fantastic”. But for all its cunning and beauty, John Stones’ opener at Anfield was greeted with anger from those of a Liverpool persuasion.
As the dust settles on the thrilling 1-1 draw at Anfield, here’s how the football world reacted to one of the game’s biggest moments:
What happened?
As Kevin De Bruyne ran forward to swing in his pinpoint corner kick from the right-hand side, City defender Nathan Ake was entangled with Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister in the six-yard box.
With Ake and Mac Allister drifting out towards the penalty spot arm-in-arm, Stones ghosted into the space they vacated and tapped home De Bruyne’s perfectly timed cross.
“That looked like genius from Kevin De Bruyne,” Sky Sports expert Gary Neville said. “How has he spotted that run from John Stones?
“It is something they have worked on, things like that don’t just happen. What a man to execute it.”
Writing from the Anfield press box, i‘s northern football correspendent Mark Douglas observed: “The opener was especially odd. Kevin De Bruyne delivered a flat corner that bamboozled the home defence, allowing John Stones to elude Nunez and beat Caoimhin Kelleher. It was a moment of high farce for such a high quality game.”
Keane added in the Sky studio: “Fantastic. There’s not many players in the world that could do what he’s done with that pass. To get that accuracy, the speed, brilliant. The delivery has got to be 100 per cent right. And it is.”
Did Ake foul Mac Allister?
Many on social media felt Liverpool were unlucky to concede the goal given Ake’s apparent block on Mac Allister.
One Liverpool fan wrote: “Ake pushing Mac Allister out of the way so Stones can score, but it’s only disallowed when it’s one of our players who does that.”
It was a sentiment Neville appeared to share on commentary. “Ake is clever. He blocks Mac Allister,” the former Manchester United defender said. “Has he prevented the Liverpool man from getting into that space?”
Keane added: “They’ve obviously worked on it, a little bit of blocking.”
Not everyone agreed though and some felt Mac Allister was actually in the wrong. Fox Soccer analyst and former USA midfielder Stu Holden said: “What a corner from Man City, but Mac Allister can’t allow himself to get pushed out of the near post there. Great work from Ake to use his body to create space for Stones.”
And former Premier League referee Mike Dean felt the correct decision was reached.
“There was nothing wrong with the goal,” Dean said. “When you see the goal from behind, Mac Allister was pulling Ake towards him.”
Keane added: “Liverpool will be disappointed.”
The incident drew some comparisons to Liverpool’s disallowed goal in the Carabao Cup final, although on that occasion the goal was not ruled out for a foul: Wataru Endo was instead deemed to be offside and “interfering with play” for a similar block on Levi Colwill.
Could Liverpool have done better?
Liverpool Echo journalist Ian Doyle wrote on social media: “If you’re going to concede a goal to Man City, you really don’t want it to be that one. Poor from LFC.”
Speaking in the Sky studio, former Reds defender Jamie Carragher said Mac Allister should have done better.
“I think Mac Allister has got to be more aggressive at that front post,” Carragher said. “It’s obvious Ake is trying to move him for a reason. And it’s just too easy. It’s obviously something they [City] have worked on. Credit to Manchester City, it’s more City’s quality than Liverpool[‘s fault] but you can always look at something.”
There is also a question over Darwin Nunez’s role in the goal.
The Liverpool striker had a clear view of Ake and Mac Allister in front of him and also Stones making his dart to the near post. But his effort to mark the City defender was too slow.
