PGMOL acknowledges Everton defender James Tarkowski should have been sent off for his tackle on Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister, Sky Sports News understands.
Tarkowski met the leg of Mac Allister high and with force when following through on a tackle in which he first won the ball during Everton’s 1-0 defeat at Anfield.
The challenge was deemed reckless and he was given a yellow card, with the challenge then reviewed by VAR.
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Liverpool’s win against Everton in the Premier League
PGMOL are understood to agree that the challenge saw Tarkowski clearly play the ball initially. However, the nature of the follow-through met the threshold for serious foul play.
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Former referee Mike Dean was left ‘astounded’ after James Tarkowski escaped a red card for a tackle on Alexis Mac Allister
Referee Sam Barrott felt the challenge was reckless in real time and the VAR then checked that on-field decision of a yellow card, deeming the referee’s call was not a clear and obvious error.
How they saw Tarkowski challenge…
Former Premier League referee Mike Dean: “He should have gone to the screen and he should be off. It is a horrible challenge. I don’t care what the Match Centre says. It was a stonewall red card.”
Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher:
“He has to see that – has to! It’s a shocking tackle, we know it should be a red card, it’s not even up for debate.”
Sky Sports’ Gary Neville:
“It is a horrible tackle. He did not need to follow through like that.”
Sky Sports’ Paul Merson:
“It’s unbelievable. How has he not been sent off? It gets worse, it’s a shocker.”
Everton legend Duncan Ferguson on Sky Sports:
“There is no argument. It’s a straight red. It’s a leg-breaker. He should have given the red on the pitch.”
However, the view of PGMOL is that a review should have been recommended and ultimately the original decision overturned.
Slot: Red card was ‘so obvious’
Speaking to Sky Sports about the foul on Mac Allister after the game, Liverpool head coach Arne Slot said: “He kept playing so I assume he’s OK.
“But I think everyone has said something about it so why should I add something to it?
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Jamie Carragher and Duncan Ferguson react to James Tarkowski’s first-half challenge on Alexis Mac Allister
“It’s so obvious, it’s not necessary for me to comment. I’d prefer to talk about Diogo [Jota]’s goal or Curtis Jones’ performance, or something else than the red card incident.
“It could have been [a serious injury] but it wasn’t fortunately, and he was lucky about that.”
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