James Tarkowski’s crunching challenge on Alexis Mac Allister was the main talking point to come out of the first half of Wednesday’s Merseyside derby, with fans and pundits left perplexed as to how the Everton skipper escaped a red card.
Tarkowski won the ball initially but his studs landed high up the Liverpool midfielder’s leg as he followed through, leaving Mac Allister writhing in pain on the ground.
The on-field referee immediately showed Tarkowski a yellow card and the challenge was then checked by Paul Tierney — the VAR for the game — but no further action was taken.
A Premier League explainer published on X said: “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.”
The officials’ failure to upgrade Tarkowski’s caution to a dismissal prompted baffled reactions from pundits and co-commentators who were covering the game.
Gary Neville said on Sky Sports: “That’s a potential leg-breaker. I think he’s very lucky there. There will be those that say it’s a natural follow-through. If you’re a defender, Carragher will be able to tell you even better than me, you don’t need to follow through like that. Such force, and it’s high. He’s very lucky.”
Former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher added: “The ref should give it on the pitch, for Paul Tierney to not give it on VAR is shocking.”
Carragher was joined in the Sky Sports studio by Everton icon Duncan Ferguson, who was no stranger to strong challenges during his playing career, but even he was adamant that Tarkowski was lucky to stay on the pitch.
“There’s no argument, straight red,” Ferguson said. “Noticed it right away, how they’ve never gave the decision… it’s a straight red. Back in our day you might have got away with that because you’ve tackled, you’ve got the ball, but he knows what he’s doing, he’s come right through him. that could have been a leg-breaker, straight red all game long.
“Was the referee a bit nervous? I don’t know if it’s his first derby but he should have been taken to the monitor. He was in a great position, he should have given a straight red. Terrible decision.”
Another former player, Stephen Warnock, was covering the game for the BBC and he said: “This challenge is nasty from James Tarkowski. He wins the ball, but follows-through on Alexis Mac Allister. Tarkowski knows exactly what he’s doing in that situation. I think it is so dangerous. It is out of control from Tarkowski.”
