Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has launched a scathing critique of Reds goalkeeper Alisson Becker following what he described as a 'crazy' mistake that proved decisive in a dramatic Premier League defeat to Manchester City.
Late Drama Sees City Snatch Victory
The highly anticipated clash at Anfield saw Liverpool take a first-half lead through a brilliant Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick, putting them on course for a result that would have significantly boosted their top-four aspirations. However, Manchester City staged a stunning late comeback to secure a 2-1 victory.
Bernardo Silva equalised for the visitors in the 84th minute, setting up a tense finale. The decisive moment arrived deep into injury time when Alisson was penalised for bringing down Matheus Nunes inside the box, allowing Erling Haaland to convert the resulting penalty and snatch all three points.
Carragher's Blunt Assessment of Costly Error
Analysing the match for Sky Sports, Carragher expressed disbelief at the goalkeeper's decision-making for the penalty incident, fearing the defeat could severely impact Liverpool's Champions League qualification hopes.
'It's a bad one for Liverpool,' Carragher stated. 'When you look at the league for Liverpool, it looks like a long way to get into the top-five Champions League positions. There's a gap now.'
He specifically targeted Alisson's role in the loss: 'A lot of Liverpool's season is about mistakes you cannot believe from players of that calibre. Van Dijk at Bournemouth, Alisson today. You can't believe a goalkeeper of his calibre makes the decision to do that for the penalty. I just cannot believe a goalkeeper of that quality makes that decision. Nunes can't do anything from where he is but Alisson just makes a crazy decision, it's madness.'
Carragher did acknowledge the Brazilian's usual high standards, adding: 'Alisson doesn't make too many – just look at how good he's been for Liverpool – but it's a real mistake.'
Van Dijk and Slot Reflect on Painful Loss
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk echoed the sentiment of self-inflicted damage, stating: 'We have only ourselves to blame. The penalty moment was the deciding moment and that is the reality.' He admitted his team were 'never in complete control against City' and must now regroup for their upcoming challenge against Sunderland.
Manager Arne Slot described the outcome as 'very disappointing' after what he called 'another great Liverpool-Man City game.' He pointed to a improved second-half performance that ultimately yielded no points, saying: 'We had a good and impressive second half but unfortunately it was not a positive result.'
League Table Ramifications
The result has significant implications for the Premier League table. Manchester City close the gap on leaders Arsenal to just six points, reinforcing their title credentials. For Liverpool, the defeat is a major setback; they remain in sixth position, now five points behind fourth-placed Manchester United in the race for Champions League football.
The match concluded with further controversy when a late Rayan Cherki goal for City was disallowed following a VAR check that also resulted in a red card for Liverpool's goalscorer, Dominik Szoboszlai.
