Man United legend Nicky Butt has come to Steven Gerrard’s defence, claiming his infamous slip was nowhere near as bad as a potentially title-defining mistake made a few weeks ago.
Gerrard’s slip against Chelsea in 2014 remains one of the most replayed moments in Premier League history. Liverpool were chasing a first league title in 24 years, only for Demba Ba to race through and score after the captain lost his footing at Anfield.
Chelsea won 2-0, Manchester City eventually claimed the title, and Gerrard’s mistake was the North Star for Liverpool’s collapse in the run-in. But a similarly high-stakes error was made recently by none other than former Liverpool target Marc Guehi against Everton.
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Nicky Butt claims Marc Guehi’s mistake for Man City was ‘miles worse’ than the Gerrard slip vs Chelsea
Liverpool missed out on Guehi, who instead joined Manchester City in January and has been largely superb since making the move.
However, the defender had a moment to forget in City’s recent 3-3 draw with Everton. Thierno Barry was initially flagged offside, but Guehi underhit a back pass straight into the striker’s path, allowing him to score.
The goal stood because Guehi was judged to have deliberately played the ball, with Barry’s offside position cancelled out by the City defender’s action.
Speaking to Paul Scholes on The Good, The Bad & The Football, Butt insisted Guehi’s error was worse than Gerrard’s slip.
He said: “I don’t think it’s any worse than the Guehi mistake. It was just the fact that it was Steven Gerrard and it was Liverpool who’ve been trying to get the title for so long and I think that’s why a big mistake is a big mistake.
“Guehi is a great player as well as Stevie G. A slip’s not a mistake. A slip’s just a bit of bad luck. It’s like John Terry with a penalty. John Terry could have took a penalty 50 times and not slip once. Steven Gerrard could go and take the ball to the right and not slip once in 50 times. Guehi could do that pass a thousand times and never do it.
“But I do think that mistake, purely down to the mistake, was miles worse than Gerrard’s. But Gerrard’s profile and the fact that Liverpool are such a big football club that go to get the title for the first time in so many years, I think that’s why it was highlighted so much.”
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The fallout from Gerrard’s slip was brutal. Liverpool never fully recovered, and City went on to win the league.
Now, with two games to go, Arsenal are in the driver’s seat. City have fought back into title contention valiantly, but Guehi’s error may yet prove hugely significant.
Could it end up being remembered in the same conversation as Gerrard’s slip? We will know in two weeks.
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