‘Oh my goodness’ – Joe Hart blown away by ‘outrageous’ moment in Liverpool vs Man City
Liverpool’s heavyweight clash with Man City stole the headlines following an interesting weekend of Premier League football.
Arsenal easily beat Sunderland to keep a sizeable gap at the top of the league table, only for Pep Guardiola‘s side to keep up the pressure with an incredible comeback at Anfield on Sunday, 8 February.
The game was filled to the brim with controversial incidents, not least Liverpool fans wanting Marc Guehi sent off for a last-man challenge on Mohamed Salah, and the Citizens’ third goal being chalked off.
There was absolutely no doubt that Dominik Szoboszlai deserved to be sent off after dragging Erling Haaland back right at the death, but it is a moment that left both sets of supporters disappointed.
However, it was the Hungarian international who had previously written himself into the Anfield history books with a spectacular goal from the best part of 35 yards. Joe Hart was simply stunned.
Joe Hart stunned as Dominik Szoboszlai fires home another free-kick
Speaking on BBC’s Match of the Day 2 (8 February), Hart raved about Szoboszlai’s free-kick, saying: “Oh my goodness, me. What a special free-kick it is as well. There’s not much you can do in those situations.
“He sets up his wall, he comes through all the circumstances, and I think what highlights how good this free-kick is, Virgil van Dijk, one of the best players to play the game in his position, look at his reaction.
“He hasn’t seen anything like that. Champions League winner, Premier League winner, and he is absolutely blown away. He steps up, and this is absolutely outrageous.”
Many are in agreement that the effort is even better than his goal against Arsenal back in August, but sadly for the Reds, it meant very little by full-time after goals from Bernardo Silva and Haaland.
How many games will Szoboszlai miss after his sending-off at Anfield?
A lot of fans on either side would have preferred Man City’s third and final goal to stand, especially Rayan Cherki, but Craig Pawson had no other choice after it was taken to VAR.
Having pulled Haaland back outside the penalty area, and Alisson nowhere to be seen, there was very little option to send the superstar off, but the incident left a sour taste in the mouths of many.
Szoboszlai has been Liverpool’s most important player all season, with nine goals and seven assists, all while filling in at full-back on occasion, but Arne Slot will now be without him for a game.
Denial of a goalscoring opportunity is just a one-game ban, but with high-flyers Sunderland up next, that could be a major moment in Liverpool’s season, having been bumped out of the European spots now.
Man United and Chelsea are now both above the Reds in the Premier League table, and after lifting the title last season, Slot is under growing pressure to turn things around on Merseyside.