REVEALED: Why Dominik Szoboszlai was sent off vs Man City as PGMOL release explosive ‘Mic’d Up’ audio

Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on February 8 was already a bitter pill for Arne Slot to swallow, but the release of the match officials mic’d up audio has turned a standard loss into a full-blown officiating scandal.

At Anfield it will be remembered not for the football, but for a chaotic sequence of officiating that Gary Neville insists has “killed the smell of the game.”

Once Szoboszlai scored a goal worthy of winning many a football match, Liverpool should not have lost this game.

Slot’s side were poor in the first half, but looked a different force in the second period, with Mohamed Salah, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike all growing into the game.

Szoboszlai’s strike left most of the ground in disbelief, with Ibrahima Konate holding his hands on his head.

Although this contest for City was against the reigning champions at a ground where they have had little joy, it was a game they could ill-afford to drop points in their hunt to chase down leaders Arsenal.

In a weekend dominated by VAR controversy, the PGMOL has taken the unprecedented step of releasing the audio from a night of high-octane drama on Merseyside.

The recording reveals the exact moment referee Craig Pawson’s “on-field feel” was overruled by the clinical, frame-by-frame analysis of the VAR room, resulting in a Rayan Cherki goal being chalked off and Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai seeing red card which ultimately resulted in a suspension.

The ‘killjoy’ moment

The flashpoint occurred in stoppage time with Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker caught upfield. After a frantic tussle between Erling Haaland and Szoboszlai, the ball rolled into an unguarded net via Cherki. Pawson initially awarded the goal, sparking wild City celebrations by Anfield Road away end, but the joy was short-lived.

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville was scathing in his assessment of the intervention. “That feels so unjust,” Neville fumed. “I know there are rules, but there is the smell of the game, it’s completely gone. There is no person who would disallow that goal. But it’s going to be disallowed. Talk about killjoy. Liverpool lose by getting a man sent off. City lose because they don’t get a goal. You have just killed one of the moments of the season.”

I didn’t see that’: the audio revealed

The leaked audio from the Match Officials Mic’d Up show illustrates the disconnect between the pitch and the VAR hub. As the goal went in, Pawson was heard saying: “The on-field decision is goal. There’s an initial foul on Erling Haaland.”

However, VAR John Brooks quickly spotted the secondary infringement. The transcript reveals the clinical breakdown:

VAR: “We have a clear foul on Erling Haaland and then a clear foul on the defender. So, we can’t allow this goal because there’s a foul. However, there’s a clear free-kick just before and a DOGSO [Denial of an Obvious Goal-Scoring Opportunity]. Because that’s why Erling Haaland doesn’t get on the end of the ball. Recommend a review for a DOGSO by Szoboszlai.”

When Pawson was beckoned to the monitor, the realisation set in.

Pawson: “That’s the pull-back. That’s the one I played advantage on, yeah.” VAR: “But then we cannot play advantage and ignore this because there is a clear holding offence on the defender there.” Pawson: “Ah, I didn’t see that.”

Rayan Cherki thought he’d scored from beyond the half-way line against Liverpool but VAR ruled it out ❌

Instead, Dominik Szoboszlai was sent off for a pull on Erling Haaland’s jersey.

Howard Webb explains why VAR came to their decision.

Watch the full Match Officials Mic’d Up… pic.twitter.com/MArBdDqjB8

— Stan Sport Football (@StanSportFC) February 25, 2026

Webb defends the ‘limits of common sense’

Chief Refereeing Officer Howard Webb has since stepped out to defend the decision, despite admitting it robbed the Premier League of a box-office finish. Webb argued that the goal was “tainted” by Haaland’s foul on Szoboszlai, which prevented the Hungarian from clearing the ball.

“To referee at Premier League level, you need a feel for the game, you need an understanding, and we try to apply common sense where that’s possible but there’s a limit to that,” Webb explained.

“This goal is only scored it only goes in the goal—because Erling Haaland pulls Szoboszlai, preventing him from being able to clear the ball. The referee tries to play an advantage… but the ball only goes into the goal because Haaland clearly commits an offence on Szoboszlai. We can’t ignore that.”

Incident	Official Ruling	Outcome
Szoboszlai pull on Haaland	Initial Foul	Advantage played (later revoked)
Haaland pull on Szoboszlai	Secondary Foul	Disallowed the goal
Final Decision	DOGSO	Red Card & City Free-kick

Webb concluded that while Szoboszlai was “right to appeal” the foul by Haaland, his own initial infringement left the officials with no choice. “Unfortunately for him, he’d committed an initial offence that has to be penalised and we end up in what is clearly the right place through the use of VAR in the end.”

Referee Craig Pawson’s Anfield record (vs. Man City)

Liverpool fans are pointing to an earlier incident involving Marc Guehi and Mohamed Salah as proof of a double standard. While Szoboszlai saw red, the former Palace defender escaped with a yellow for a similar tug on Salah.

Statistic	Liverpool	Man City
Penalties Awarded	6	10
Red Cards Issued	1 (Szoboszlai)	0
Average Fouls per Yellow	10.1	10.1
Overall Record under Pawson	30W, 7D, 8L	22W, 4D, 5L

Manchester City goalscorer Erling Haaland, speaking after the game, admitted: “I think for me, the referee has to follow the rules… but just give the goal, don’t give the red card. Simple as that.”