"It’s not harsh; it’s a fact" - Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards disagree on close VAR call in Manchester City vs Liverpool clash
Former defenders Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards had a disagreement over a VAR call in the draw between Manchester City and Liverpool on Sunday. The two teams played out a 2-2 draw in what could've been a potential Premier League title decider this season.
Goals from Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane for the Reds and Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus for City made sure the points were shared.
However, Raheem Sterling also scored in the second half only to be deemed offside after a VAR check. The England international was just marginally offside, and that is what irked former City player Richards.
He said on Sky Sports (via Liverpool Echo):
“It was millimetres. We want VAR in the game for important decisions. De Bruyne again getting into those pockets, we’re talking about can he finish it? Has he got the composure? Yes. I actually didn’t celebrate too much, I was thinking, is he offside? We’re talking millimetres offside."
Former Manchester United midfielder and Richards' fellow pundit Roy Keane replied:
“It was offside, it doesn’t matter.”
Richards then added:
“It was harsh but we don’t want to see this.”
To this, Carragher replied:
"It’s not harsh, it’s fact."
With the draw, Manchester City maintained their one-point lead over Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table. With seven games to go for both teams, it is still anyone's title.
Draw favours Manchester City more than Liverpool
While it is obvious both teams would've wanted a win, a draw perhaps favours City in the Premier League title race because of their upcoming fixtures.
In their seven remaining games, Liverpool will have to face Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. Meanwhile, Manchester City's only tough fixture on paper could be against West Ham United.
A win is not certain at this point in the season against any team. However, on paper, the Reds seem to have a tougher fixture list.
Both teams are also competing in the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League. They will face each other in the semi-finals of the FA Cup on 16 April.
In the Champions League, City have a slender 1-0 advantage over Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals. They travel to the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium on 13 April for the second leg. Meanwhile, the Merseysiders have a comfortable 3-1 lead over Benfica before facing them at Anfield for the second leg on 13 April.
Im fact, the Reds are on course for an unprecedented quadruple, having won the Carabao Cup earlier this year.