The Premier League has cleared the air on why referee Samuel Barrot didn’t give James Tarkowski a red card during the Merseyside derby. Fans were shocked when Tarkowski only received a yellow after his rough tackle on Alexis Mac Allister in the first half.
After reviewing the incident, VAR officials decided the tackle didn’t meet the standard for serious foul play. They pointed out that while there was contact, it happened as Tarkowski followed through after playing the ball, so it was deemed reckless rather than dangerous.
Not everyone’s buying that explanation, though. Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville didn’t hold back, calling the tackle “horrible” and questioning why Tarkowski needed to follow through like that.
The whole situation has kicked off debates about consistency in officiating, with players, analysts, and fans all sharing their own takes on whether the decision was fair or not.
