Jamie Carragher believes he can explain why there was no first-half red card in Brighton vs Liverpool. He doesn’t like it, though.
Luis Diaz put Liverpool head vs Brighton on Saturday afternoon with an incredibly brave header. In fact, it was a brilliant goal all-around – brilliant pass, brilliant run, and a brilliant finish.
The Colombian burst in behind the Brighton backline as Joel Matip sent a perfect pass over the top. Diaz got there before the goalkeeper, heading past him for 1-0.
However, the goalkeeper did get there. He collided heavily with Diaz and actually fouled him quite badly. Despite the goal, it required a VAR check for serious foul play.
Robert Sanchez put his left leg up incredibly high, catching Diaz shoulder height to leave him in a crumpled heap. Anywhere else on the pith and there’s no doubt around a red card.
VAR, though, didn’t even send referee Mike Dean to have a look – a bizarre decision. Jamie Carragher, though, believes you can explain it, even if it’s not a good explanation.
“I’m convinced the red card wasn’t given because it was a goal,” he wrote on Twitter. “That header goes past the post & it’s a red card. It’s almost like, a goal is enough.”
Brighton vs Liverpool
We think Carragher is spot on here – no Liverpool goal and that’s unquestionably a red card. It’s a ridiculous decision, really, and the very least should have seen Dean go to judge it himself.
The fact they didn’t even do that is just bizarre. Unfortunately, we keep seeing that happen – unbelievable decisions (or lack thereof) with no explanation offered by VAR.
Diaz was both fouled and lucky to just walk it off. If that’s no serious foul play, we’re not sure what is.
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