Liverpool's 2-1 win over Tottenham earlier this month was marred by two controversial red cards, a questionable goal being awarded, and a robust challenge that went unpunished.
The Premier League's Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel has ruled that four controversial referee decisions from Liverpool’s win over Tottenham Hotspur two weeks ago were all correct.
The Reds won 2-1 in an ill-tempered game in North London, which saw Spurs finish with nine players. Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero were shown red cards, although Liverpool struggled to contain the depleted Tottenham in the latter stages of the game.
Simons was shown a straight red card in the 33rd minute when he trod on the back of Virgil van Dijk’s calf. Referee John Brooks originally issued a yellow card, but after reviewing the footage at the pitchside monitor, he upgraded the penalty to a red card.
Romero’s dismissal was equally as needless, with the Tottenham center-back shown a second booking in the latter stages of the game for kicking out at Ibrahima Konate.
Thomas Frank was disappointed with both calls and felt that neither necessarily warranted a red card.
The Spurs boss also lamented the decision to permit Hugo Ekitike’s second-half goal. The Frenchman nodded in from Jeremie Frimpong’s cross, but replays showed his hands were placed on the back of Romero, who dropped to the turf following the slight touch.
“That's unbelievable, it's a huge mistake,” Frank told Sky Sports after the game. “I think there's something about the red you can discuss and the two yellows that you can discuss in a lot of ways, but the second one is a huge mistake.”
However, the Premier League’s KMI panel, which reviews decisions made by referees, has concluded it was correct to allow the goal as there was “not enough contact for a foul”.
The KMI panel also agreed with the decisions to send off Simons and Romero, and ruled that Micky van de Ven should not have been shown a red card for his leg-breaking tackle on Alexander Isak.
The Liverpool striker netted the opening goal in the 56th minute, but Van de Ven’s desperate lunge to try and prevent it saw him clatter into Isak’s standing leg, resulting in a fibula fracture and ankle injury that required surgery.
Arne Slot slammed the decision not to send off his fellow Dutchman.
“It was a reckless challenge,” said the Liverpool head coach. “I've said a lot about the tackle of Xavi Simons [who was sent off], which for me was completely unintentional. I don't think you will ever get an injury out of a tackle like that.
“But the tackle of [Micky] van de Ven, if you make a tackle like that 10 times, 10 times there is a chance the player gets a serious injury.”