Micah Richards thinks that Liverpool should have had a goal disallowed yesterday. There has been plenty of debate about The Reds game clinching penalty. But Richards thinks that Liverpool’s second goal of the day was also contentious.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain slammed home after Andy Robertson picked him out at the far post. All fine on the face of it. But as the ball came across to Oxlade-Chamberlain, Roberto Firmino challenged Tyrick Mitchell in the air. Firmino looked to be in an offside position prior to leaping for the ball.
Richards certainly felt so and was angry that the goal was allowed to stand.
“If someone’s in front of you, and Firmino’s in this position here and you’ve got a man behind you and he’s going to head the ball, and he’s offside, of course he’s affecting the play. It makes no sense,” the pundit said on Sunday night’s Match of the Day 2.
“Even seeing there on the angle, he jumps. He wouldn’t have jumped if Firmino wasn’t there, then he could’ve had Oxlade-Chamberlain at the back-post,” the former Manchester City player continued.
“It was an absolutely ridiculous decision”.
Reds get lucky
It’s difficult to disagree with Richards here. Bobby was clearly affecting the Palace defender’s actions. Whether Mitchell would have had time to get back to Oxlade-Chamberlain is debatable. But Firmino’s presence certainly meant that he had no chance.
Had the goal been allowed to stand against Liverpool, many supporters would have been angry.
Coupled with the late penalty decision, The Reds definitely had a helping hand from the officials at Selhurst Park. Although Liverpool were dominant in the first half, sloppiness allowed Patrick Vieira’s team back into it.
They can’t rely on more gifts from referees if they are to claw back the gap to City and reignite the title race.