Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk anger, Arne Slot's 115 charges joke, referee apology
Liverpool and Manchester City will renew their rivalry on Sunday, with the Reds looking to repeat their victory at Anfield earlier this season - a game that was marred by controversy
by Ben Crawford · The MirrorLiverpool are set for a challenging trip to the Etihad on Sunday, where they'll face Manchester City - a team that ruffled their feathers during their last encounter.
Arne Slot's side comfortably leads the Premier League, a staggering 15 points ahead of presumed title challengers, with City in fourth place. The reigning champions had a dismal start to the current season, embarking on an almost unprecedented winless streak of seven games in all competitions over the festive period.
They've shown signs of improvement recently, bouncing back from a 5-1 defeat to Arsenal with a 4-0 thrashing of Newcastle, and will pose a tough challenge when the Reds head to Manchester.
The last time these two teams clashed in December 2024, it was a fiery affair, and Mirror Football revisits the incidents of that day, including Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk's fury, Slot's amusing post-match quip and an apology from the match official.
Salah's rage
Cody Gakpo put his side one goal up within 12 minutes when the two teams faced off at Anfield three months ago, and with little resistance and a barrage of home opportunities, Salah doubled that lead by scoring from the penalty spot in the 78th minute to wrap up the three points.
After the goal, which essentially sealed City's fate, Bernardo Silva - who famously refused to applaud during the Reds' Premier League guard of honour in 2020 - made a legal tackle on the match-winning Egyptian.
However, as the ball went out of play and Salah lay on the ground, Silva landed a subtle kick in the forward's direction, which didn't go down well. The 32-year-old quickly jumped to his feet, furious with Silva's actions, which the referee missed, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Slot's lighthearted jab
After the match, Salah stayed in the spotlight by suggesting that the clash could be his 'last against City at home', hinting that his contract may not be renewed before its expiry in the summer. Talks have not progressed since his comment, but it was manager Slot's response that sparked some controversy.
When asked about Salah's post-match revelation, Slot jokingly poked fun at City, who have been charged with breaching the Premier League's financial rules from 2009 to 2018.
"Maybe Mo knows more about the 115 [allegations] that are done, so he expects them not to be in the Premier League next season," Slot quipped before adding: "The boring answer is always the same. This is not the place for me to talk about Mo's contract. Maybe I've said already too much about the joke I've just made. So that will probably get the headlines. But it was a joke."
Referee's regret
Match official Chris Kavanagh also faced criticism during the fixture for repeatedly blocking Liverpool attacks. In a game where the referee seemed to be more involved than usual, he prevented Liverpool from moving the ball upfield during the first half and inadvertently blocked Alexis Mac Allister in the second, which led to an apology from the referee.
But even before the match got underway, the man in the middle managed to get on the wrong side of Reds’ skipper Van Dijk by beginning the coin toss without him.
The Dutchman conveyed his irritation, saying after the clash: "I was annoyed by the fact that he [referee Kavanagh] started the toss without me.
"I was busy with my mascot and obviously took a little bit of time, but he started the coin toss quite quickly, so I was a little bit annoyed by that because I think, just wait."
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