EPL 2020: Man City denied historic 5-0 win against Liverpool by VAR stinker

Manchester City was denied a record-equalling fifth goal in its rout of recently-crowned champion Liverpool in a moment of high drama.

Riyad Mahrez scores his team's fifth goal but it is disallowed by VAR. (Photo by Peter Powell/Pool via Getty Images)

Manchester City reacted with a vengeance to being dethroned as Premier League champions by Liverpool to thrash the Reds 4-0 on Thursday.

But it could have been five as Riyad Mahrez had a sublime finish in stoppage time ruled out by a VAR review for handball.

Referee Anthony Taylor ruled a falling Phil Foden had touched the ball in the build-up before Mahrez was released and beat Alisson at his near post.

“Big result tonight even if I wish it was more,” Mahrez tweeted.

Victoire 4-0 de Manchester City contre Liverpool ! Mahrez aurait pu marqué le 5ème mais la VAR l’a annulé pic.twitter.com/HdDuAYe0G0

— Joueurs Algériens 🇩🇿 (@JoueursDZ) July 2, 2020

Five-nil would have matched the scoreline from City’s rout of the Reds in 2017 — which remains Liverpool’s heaviest defeat in the Premier League.

English football legend Gary Lineker was beside himself.

“Here we go again, another perfectly good goal ruled out by the most ridiculous law in the history of game, made considerably worse by the microscopic exploration of any faint touch off an arm or fingernail,” Lineker tweeted.

“It’s ludicrous and so horribly biased in favour of the defending sides. Goal after goal being disallowed for nothing. Makes no sense.”

Disallowing that 5th City goal is so anti football. Officials, lawmakers, VAR defenders - they don't love the game like most of us do.

— talkSPORTDrive (@talkSPORTDrive) July 2, 2020

VAR destroyed football

— Cllr Mete Coban MBE (@metecoban92) July 2, 2020

But City more than laid down a marker and also showed why they are among the favourites to win the Champions League for the first time when European football returns in August.

City also sent a warning shot of their intentions to take the title back next season as Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden all struck before halftime to inflict Liverpool’s third league defeat in 71 games.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s own goal rounded off a miserable night for Jurgen Klopp’s men, who could have conceded many more in the second half.

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The gap at the top of the table between the two remains 20 points, but Liverpool’s charge to better a series of records set by City two seasons ago was stalled on a chastening night for the champions.

City began the evening by giving a guard of honour to their opponents in their first match since ending a 30-year wait to win the league.

The early signs suggested Liverpool would be able to pick off a leaky City defence that has cost them their title.

Mohamed Salah struck the post and Sadio Mane headed wastefully wide as chances came and went for the visitors.

Fireworks were then set off outside the stadium, reportedly by celebrating Liverpool supporters, but City soon set some off themselves on the field with three goals in 20 minutes.

Despite Liverpool’s dominance as a team, De Bruyne has been for many the outstanding individual of the season and the Belgian began to imprint his influence on the game as the visitors struggled to control his movement in the midfield.

De Bruyne’s 13th goal of the season came from the penalty spot on 25 minutes after Joe Gomez pulled Sterling to the ground.

Sterling was suspended by England manager Gareth Southgate after he squared up to Gomez in the canteen on international duty the day after Liverpool’s 3-1 win over City at Anfield earlier in the season.

Riyad Mahrez was denied by VAR. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

The City forward wisely did his talking on the pitch this time as he scored for the first time in a competitive match against his old side by turning inside Gomez and sending a shot through the defender’s legs as Liverpool were caught on the counter-attack.

Foden has been hugely impressive since the Premier League’s restart from a three-month lay-off and Pep Guardiola’s decision to field the 20-year-old ahead of Mahrez and Bernardo Silva was fully merited as he and De Bruyne combined beautifully for a third just before the break.

Andy Robertson was sucked in as Foden and De Bruyne played a one-two before the England under-21 international coolly lifted the ball over the advancing Alisson Becker.

But for the Brazilian goalkeeper and some wayward finishing, Liverpool could have been on the end of an embarrassing scoreline early in the second half as Gabriel Jesus fired straight at his international teammate, Sterling saw a shot deflected just wide and Virgil van Dijk cleared off the line from Foden.

There was a touch of fortune when City’s fourth did arrive as De Bruyne again cut the Liverpool defence wide open.

Sterling cut inside, but his shot was heading wide before being turned into his own net by Oxlade-Chamberlain.

— AFP