Premier League told VAR made error over Alexis Mac Allister penalty shout for Liverpool vs Man City

Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has insisted that VAR were wrong not to award Liverpool a late penalty against Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.

The clash between Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola's juggernauts was billed as a potential title race decider and while the draw leaves that in the balance, both teams played out a thriller at Anfield. City had the better of the first half and led thanks to John Stones' close-range strike.

However, the Reds rallied and were level inside two minutes of the second half as Alexis Mac Allister equalised from the spot after Darwin Nunez was fouled by Ederson. Liverpool kept pressing and felt they should have received another penalty deep into stoppage time when Jeremy Doku caught Mac Allister with a high boot.

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Referee Michael Oliver did not award a penalty and following a check, VAR told him that Doku had played the ball. Klopp disputed this decision at full-time and suggested all football fans knew it was a spot-kick.

In his Daily Mail column Clattenburg, who is now a referee advisor for Nottingham Forest, took aim at VAR for not awarding a penalty to Liverpool late on. "Liverpool should have been awarded a stoppage-time penalty against Manchester City but this is the problem in the Premier League right now – referees are making mistakes in matches and not being helped by their VARs," he wrote.

"The ball bounces up. Alexis Mac Allister moves towards it. Jeremy Doku’s foot is high. He catches Mac Allister in the chest.

"Outside of the box, this would have resulted in a free-kick, every day of the week. Just because it happened inside the box does not suddenly transform it into