Liverpool fans fume at “joke” VAR after Man City opener in Premier League clash

Liverpool fans have expressed their dismay after VAR failed to intervene to rule out Man City’s opening goal in their top-of-the-table Premier League clash at Anfield.

Pep Guardiola’s side drew first blood in a league fixture that would see the winner leapfrog Arsenal and move into first place.

City moved ahead after Kevin De Bruyne fired in a low corner to the near post where John Stones lost his man to turn the ball home in the 23rd minute.

Yet Nathan Ake’s involvement in the build-up to the goal made some Liverpool fans question whether VAR should have intervened.

Liverpool fans question VAR use for Man City goal

Occupying the near post area that De Bruyne’s corner was fired into, Ake jostled with Alexis Mac Allister to move the Argentine out of the way.

With the Liverpool man vacating the space, Stones was left free to turn the ball home from close range past Caoimhin Kelleher.

But Liverpool fans were adamant that Ake had fouled Mac Allister in his efforts to move the midfielder out of the way.

It didn’t take long after the ball hit the back of the net before they took to social media to make their feelings clear.

Even former Manchester United captain, Gary Neville, thought that VAR might have had a look at the incident.

“Look at Ake,” he said on commentary duty for Sky Sports during the game. “Clever, he just blocks Mac Allister.

“Let’s see whether VAR will have a look at it, they surely will have a look at it. Has he prevented the Liverpool man from going into that space?”

Neville went on to cite last month’s Carabao Cup final where a similar incident saw Wataru Endo prevent Chelsea defender Levi Colwill from getting back to mark Virgil van Dijk.

On that occasion, however, the VAR intervened because Endo was deemed to be in an offside position—not for a direct foul.