Everton captain James Tarkowski was not sent off after a harsh tackle on Alexis Mac Allister in the first 10 minutes of Everton’s defeat to Liverpool in the Merseyside derby at Anfield.
Tarkowski slid in and won the ball, but then his momentum carried him into Liverpool`s Argentine midfielder.
Referee Sam Barrott immediately gave Tarkowski a yellow card.
VAR, Paul Tierney, reviewed the play.
Surprisingly, Tierney did NOT tell Barrott to look at the monitor again.
The Premier League said in a statement on social media: "VAR checked the referee’s yellow card for Tarkowski’s reckless foul. They agreed that the contact after Tarkowski played the ball was reckless."
According to the rules, a “reckless” foul is a yellow card.
A red card is for tackles that are "endangering an opponent" or use "excessive force".
Neither Barrott nor Tierney thought Tarkowski's tackle was a red card.
After Mac Allister was treated, Liverpool restarted the game, but Dominik Szoboszlai missed the free kick.
Former Premier League referee Mike Dean spoke about the tackle on Sky Sports News.
Dean said: "The follow through is bad. Luckily, his leg wasn`t planted.
Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey `amazed` James Tarkowski dodged red card in Merseyside derby
"But it should be a red card – speed, intensity, force – everything. He gets the ball, but the follow through is terrible.
"Barrott should have looked at the screen and sent Tarkowski off – 100 percent."
Jamie Carragher, a Sky Sports pundit, said at halftime about Barrott: "He’s in a good spot, he has to see it."
Carragher added: "It’s shocking that Paul Tierney didn`t give a red card on VAR."
Duncan Ferguson, an Everton legend, agreed and said “straight red, no question” and called it a “leg-breaker.”
Gary Neville added: "It’s a terrible tackle. He didn`t need to follow through like that."
Everton manager David Moyes called it a "brilliant tackle for a derby game" but admitted that his team may have been "lucky."
RECORD BOOKS
Tarkowski`s yellow card means he now shares the Premier League record for most yellow cards without a red card.
The defender has received 63 yellow cards in 300 Premier League games, tying Oriol Romeu.
After the controversial play, Everton made it difficult for Liverpool at Anfield.
Forward Beto had a goal disallowed for offside in the 21st minute.
Beto later broke through on goal but hit the post.
David Moyes’ team may regret their missed chances because Diogo Jota scored for Liverpool just before the hour mark.
The Premier League leaders won 1-0 and are now 12 points ahead at the top of the league.
