Source: REUTERS/Phil Noble
[Saba Sports News] According to British media reports, the Premier League Referee Company (PGMOL) has confirmed post-match that James Tarkowski’s tackle on Alexis Mac Allister should have been punished with a red card, with the on-pitch refereeing team incorrectly deciding on a yellow card. In the previously played derby match, Liverpool won 1-0 over Everton at home. It is worth mentioning that in the 11th minute of the match, Tarkowski tackled Mac Allister’s lower leg, and the referee only showed a yellow card. However, after VAR intervention, the referee still maintained the original decision. Post-match, in a statement to the media, PGMOL admitted that Tarkowski initially made contact with the ball, but PGMOL internally believes that his subsequent actions met the threshold for serious fouling. The referee on duty, Sam Barrott, is an excellent and promising young referee, and this was his first time officiating the Merseyside derby. He considered the challenge to be reckless. The Video Assistant Referee (VAR), Paul Tierney, reviewed Sam Barrott’s on-field yellow card decision and believed the referee’s judgment was not a clear and obvious error. PGMOL believes the correct action would have been for VAR to recommend a review and overturn the initial decision.