Former PGMOL chief and ex-Premier League referee Keith Hackett has suggested that Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Tottenham on Saturday could have seen a third red card.
Xavi Simons was dismissed in the first half for a reckless challenge on Virgil van Dijk, a moment that swung the momentum in Liverpool’s favour. The visitors took the lead after the break when Alexander Isak fired past Guglielmo Vicario, before Hugo Ekitike made it 2-0. Richarlison pulled one back for Spurs late on, but his goal proved merely a consolation. Tottenham were later reduced to nine men when Cristian Romero was shown a second yellow card for kicking out at Ibrahima Konate.
Despite two red cards already being shown, Hackett believes referee John Brooks missed another sending-off late in the game. The former official was critical of Richarlison’s behaviour following his goal.
As Spurs attempted to quickly restart play, Ekitike moved to block them, leading to both players falling to the ground. As he got back to his feet, Richarlison was seen placing his hand on the back of the Frenchman’s neck.
Speaking to Football Insider, Hackett argued the striker was fortunate to escape punishment, insisting the incident could easily have resulted in a red card for violent conduct. He claimed the officials failed to spot the offence, VAR did not intervene, and the moment passed without any action being taken.
