Arne Slot responds after PGMOL admit mistake in Liverpool-Everton controversy

The PGMOL have admitted that James Tarkowski should have been sent off for his challenge on Alexis Mac Allister in the Merseyside Derby on Wednesday night

Liverpool boss Arne Slot says he’s happy to see the PGMOL admit a mistake was made NOT to send off Everton captain James Tarkowski during the Merseyside derby.

Tarkowski was only booked for a challenge on Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister at Anfield, with the Video Assistant Referee backing the on-pitch decision made by referee Sam Barrott. Tarkowski did get the ball, but a high follow-through saw him hit Mac Allister high on the leg, just 1 minutes into the match.

“The referee’s call of yellow card for a reckless foul by Tarkowski was checked by the VAR, with contact on the follow through after Tarkowski had played the ball deemed to be reckless,” stated the Premier League Match Centre on social media. However the decision not to upgrade the yellow card to red was widely criticised.

Former Everton forward Duncan Ferguson insisted on Sky Sports that it was worthy of a dismissal, stating: “There is no argument. Straight red. Back in the day, you might have got away with that. That could have been a leg-breaker but that is a straight red all day long. He should have given the decision on the field but that is a straight red. Terrible decision.”

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Speaking after the match, Toffees boss David Moyes admitted his side were “lucky” Tarkowski did not see red.

“I thought at the time it was a brilliant tackle for a derby game,” Moyes said. “You people are all asking for (physical play) and then when you get it you want a sending-off, so be careful what you wish for.

“I thought it was a brilliant tackle, but since I’ve seen it and come back in we could have been lucky he didn’t get a red. It looked high, but it depends what era you want to watch your football in.”

Even former referee Mike Dean, working for Sky Sports, acknowledged the officials had got it wrong: “It is a horrible challenge. It is a red card all day.”

On Thursday morning, the referees’ governing body, the PGMOL, also accepted the right decision hadn’t been red.

And speaking at his press conference ahead of the weekend meeting with Fulham, Slot said: “It is always good that if they think they have made a mistake that they acknowledge that. It is good that they acknowledge the mistake but it was so clear.”

Despite the controversy, Liverpool emerged victorious from the derby, maintaining their 11-man squad throughout and securing a win thanks to Diogo Jota’s lone goal, which bolstered their 12-point lead at the summit of the Premier League.

They face Fulham this weekend with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley all likely to still be sidelined due to injury, while Alisson continues to be in the concussion protocol.

“Trent and Joe (Gomez) won’t be back for the coming weeks,” said Slot. “We will have to wait and see about Conor (Bradley). With Ali, it’s a concussion and when he ticks all the boxes he will be back in goal. We’re following the protocols.”

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