It was a day Liverpool fans would rather forget — a day filled with disbelief, anger, and disappointment. On November 9, 2025, the Reds traveled to the Etihad Stadium full of hope and determination, ready to challenge Manchester City for a crucial Premier League victory.
But what followed was a humbling experience that left supporters questioning everything. Under the bright Manchester lights, Pep Guardiola marked his 1000th match as a professional manager with a dominant display, while Arne Slot’s Liverpool were left chasing shadows.
When the final whistle blew, the scoreboard read Manchester City 3, Liverpool 0 — a result that told the story of a painful afternoon.
From kickoff, the game promised intensity and drama. Arne Slot’s side began confidently, pressing high and trying to disrupt City’s rhythm. Liverpool looked sharp and composed in spells, creating small moments of threat.
But as the minutes passed, City’s trademark patience and precision began to show. Guardiola’s men absorbed the pressure, waited for their moment, and struck with purpose.
The first big moment arrived in the 13th minute when City were awarded a penalty. Erling Haaland stepped up, but Liverpool’s stand-in goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, filling in for Alisson, produced a brilliant save to deny him.
It was a lifeline for Liverpool, a flash of hope that maybe this could be their day. The traveling fans celebrated wildly, chanting Mamardashvili’s name as their belief grew.
That hope didn’t last long. Sixteen minutes later, Haaland got his revenge. Finding space in the box, he calmly slotted the ball into the net to give City the lead. The Etihad erupted.
Liverpool, who had started with confidence, suddenly found themselves struggling to keep up with City’s tempo.
Still, they fought back. Mohamed Salah and Darwin Núñez tried to spark something, and just before halftime, it seemed their efforts had paid off.
From a corner, Virgil van Dijk rose above everyone and powered a header into the top corner. Liverpool’s players celebrated wildly, thinking they had equalized — but moments later, VAR stepped in.
The referee ruled the goal out, claiming Andy Robertson was offside and obstructing the goalkeeper’s view.
The decision sent shockwaves through the Liverpool camp and outrage through their fanbase. Social media exploded with claims that Liverpool had been “robbed.”
The Premier League later issued a statement explaining: “The referee’s call of offside and no goal to Liverpool was checked and confirmed by VAR – with Robertson in an offside position and deemed to be making an obvious action directly in front of the goalkeeper.”
But the explanation did little to calm the storm. Fans and pundits debated the call endlessly, breaking down the footage frame by frame.
What should have been a turning point for Liverpool became the moment their momentum collapsed — and by full-time, Manchester City had completed a 3-0 victory, leaving Arne Slot and his team searching for answers.
