Szoboszlai red card sparks fresh advantage law controversy
Liverpool’s late defeat to Manchester City continues to generate debate, with former PGMOL chief executive Keith Hackett raising serious questions over the red card shown to Dominik Szoboszlai at Anfield.
The Hungary international was sent off in stoppage time after being judged to have denied Erling Haaland an obvious goalscoring opportunity, despite the ball ending up in the net moments later.
That decision has already ruled Szoboszlai out of Wednesday night’s trip to Sunderland, but Hackett believes the law may not have been applied correctly.
According to the former refereeing chief, the crucial issue is whether referee Craig Pawson had already applied advantage before returning to issue the dismissal.
Hackett explained his interpretation while speaking on Football Insider, saying: “We need to go back and examine law and advantage.
“If the referee applies an advantage for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity, the player should be cautioned, not sent off.”
Why advantage law matters in Szoboszlai red card decision
"If this was the application of advantage, it should have been a ???????????????????????? card."
Ex-PGMOL chief @HACKETTREF drops major bombshell after taking a look at advantage law following Dominik Szoboszlai red card vs Man City. pic.twitter.com/T5vOiRBCum
— Football Insider (@footyinsider247) February 8, 2026
Hackett’s argument centres on a little-understood section of Law 12, which states that if advantage is played after a DOGSO offence and a goal is scored, the sanction should be reduced to a yellow card.
In this instance, Rayan Cherki’s long-range effort crossed the line before VAR intervened, with Pawson eventually disallowing the goal and returning to the original foul.
Hackett believes that sequence matters.
“The question that needs to be answered is whether advantage was applied,” he added. “If so, the player should have been yellow carded, not red carded.”
That interpretation has only intensified frustration around an incident that already felt harsh on Liverpool, particularly given Szoboszlai’s overall contribution.
The Hungarian midfielder completed 90 minutes, scored a superb free-kick, won 15 ground duels, made eight recoveries, and led our pressing in the second half as we pushed City back for long periods (via Sofascore).
Officials split as Szoboszlai incident continues to divide opinion
Hackett is not alone in questioning the outcome.
Erling Haaland and Pep Guardiola both expressed sympathy for Szoboszlai after the match, with Guardiola arguing that common sense should have prevailed if the goal was allowed to stand.
Former referee Dermot Gallagher, however, offered a different view, suggesting that VAR had no choice but to default back to the original offence once the goal was disallowed.
That split highlights the ongoing lack of clarity around how advantage and VAR interact in high-pressure situations.
For Liverpool, the concern now is practical as well as theoretical.
Szoboszlai’s absence leaves us short ahead of a difficult midweek trip to Sunderland, with momentum once again disrupted by a refereeing decision that will continue to be dissected long after the final whistle.
Whether Hackett’s interpretation gains traction or not, it underlines one thing clearly.
The Szoboszlai red card was not as straightforward as it first appeared, and Liverpool may yet feel they paid a heavier price than the laws truly demanded.
Join our channel of readers on WhatsApp to get the day’s top stories straight to your mobile
The post Szoboszlai red card sparks fresh advantage law controversy appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.