Tottenham 1–2 Liverpool: Former PGMOL Boss Says Referee Overlooked a Third Red Card Incident

Former PGMOL boss and ex-Premier League referee Keith Hackett has claimed that Liverpool’s 2–1 win over Tottenham on Saturday could have seen a third red card.

Xavi Simons was dismissed in the first half after a reckless challenge on Virgil van Dijk, a decision that proved pivotal as Liverpool took control after the break. Alexander Isak opened the scoring by firing past Guglielmo Vicario, before Hugo Ekitike doubled the advantage. Richarlison later pulled one back for Spurs, but his goal came too late to change the outcome. Tottenham were then reduced to nine men when Cristian Romero received a second yellow card for lashing out at Ibrahima Konate.

Despite two sendings-off already, Hackett believes referee John Brooks should have produced another red card late on. The former official criticised Richarlison’s conduct following his goal, when Spurs players rushed to restart play and Ekitike attempted to delay them. Both players fell to the ground, and as they got up, Richarlison appeared to grab Ekitike by the back of the neck.

Speaking to Football Insider, Hackett said the striker was lucky to escape punishment, suggesting the incident could have been deemed violent conduct. He felt the officials and VAR failed to act, despite what he described as clear contact that merited closer scrutiny.

Liverpool’s win marks three consecutive victories in all competitions and lifts them to fifth in the league. After a difficult run of form, head coach Arne Slot was pleased with the progress. He praised his side’s performance at a tough venue and stressed the importance of continuing to collect wins to improve their league position.

Liverpool now turn their attention to a home match against bottom-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday 27 December, while Tottenham face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park the following day.