Manchester City were denied a penalty claim in the 17th minute during their 4-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield after Rayan Cherki went down under a challenge from Milos Kerkez. Referee Michael Oliver waved away appeals, with VAR official Paul Howard reviewing the incident and confirming no foul had occurred. Footage showed Kerkez making contact with the ball first, with the subsequent collision deemed a result of both players' momentum. On-field communications indicated Oliver judged the second contact to be part of natural movement, not a foul by Kerkez. VAR concluded the decision was correct, stating no clear or obvious error was made. Pep Guardiola, serving a touchline ban, appeared frustrated when seen reacting to the replay on the stadium screen. City players expressed strong dissent at the time, but the officials maintained the call was in line with the Laws of the Game.
When the VAR team says the contact was "inevitable" and "natural," that means they saw no intent or error — and that protects the on-field referee's authority, even in a high-stakes loss. The fact that Cherki may have extended his leg into the challenge suggests simulation rather than a genuine foul, which makes City's frustration more about perception than protocol. This was not a missed call but a reaffirmation of how strictly 'clear and obvious' is applied — and that benefits consistency, not sentiment.
