Former referees boss advises FA on punishment for Anthony Gordon after Liverpool clash

 

 

The FA has been called on to take action against Anthony Gordon following a late challenge on Alisson during Liverpool’s emphatic 4-1 victory over Newcastle at Anfield on Saturday.

Liverpool strengthened their push for Champions League qualification with a dominant win, despite falling behind in the 36th minute when Gordon opened the scoring for Newcastle. The Reds responded quickly, with Hugo Ekitike netting twice before half-time to turn the game around. Second-half goals from Florian Wirtz and Ibrahima Konate then sealed a convincing result.

However, there was controversy surrounding Gordon’s involvement, with many believing he was fortunate to remain on the pitch long enough to score. The Newcastle winger was booked earlier in the match for a late tackle on Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, but the incident could yet result in retrospective punishment for violent conduct.

The 24-year-old has previous form against Liverpool, having been sent off in the reverse fixture in August after a late challenge on Virgil van Dijk. He came close to repeating that scenario at Anfield when he slid in on Alisson in the 11th minute after a loose touch near the goal area.

Although Gordon made contact with Alisson moments after the goalkeeper had released the ball to Van Dijk, referee Simon Hooper opted to show only a yellow card. Replays later appeared to show Gordon’s studs making contact, leading to claims he was lucky to avoid a red card.

Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has now urged the FA to review the incident and consider further action, insisting the challenge warranted more than a booking. Speaking to Football Insider on The Final Whistle, Hackett suggested the referee may have missed key details and criticised VAR for failing to intervene.

He explained that the incident required a clear judgment on whether the challenge was merely reckless or crossed the line into excessive force. Hackett added that if the referee did not have a clear view, the FA’s disciplinary panel should re-examine the incident and potentially impose a sanction after the fact.