The Premier League  responds to the controversy surrounding James Tarkowski’s challenge on Alexis Mac Allister during the Merseyside derby, releasing a statement to clarify why the Everton defender was not sent off.

The decision, which saw Tarkowski escape with just a yellow card, has sparked debate among pundits and fans alike.

Early in the first half at Anfield, Tarkowski lunged in to win the ball but followed through with a high challenge, catching Mac Allister on the leg. The Liverpool midfielder was able to continue, but concerns were immediately raised over the severity of the tackle.

A VAR check followed, but the officials upheld the on-field decision, allowing Tarkowski to stay on the pitch with only a caution. The subsequent free-kick, taken by Dominik Szoboszlai, narrowly missed the target, keeping the score at 0-0.

https://x.com/SkySportsPL/status/1907513057711902934

 Ex-Referee Slams VAR Decision

On commentary for Sky Sports, Gary Neville described Tarkowski as “very lucky” to avoid a red card, labeling the challenge a “potential leg breaker.” Former Premier League referee Mike Dean, speaking in the Sky Sports Soccer Special studio, echoed Neville’s concerns.

Commentator Peter Drury later confirmed: “We hear that Mike Dean, who is on the panel with Sky Sports News tonight, has concurred with you, Gary. He’s said that, in his view, it should have been reviewed and it should have been a red card.”

 Premier League Issues Official Statement

The Premier League responded to the growing criticism with an official statement via its Match Centre Twitter account. The statement read:

“The referee’s call of yellow card for a reckless foul by Tarkowski was checked by the VAR, with contact on the follow-through after Tarkowski had played the ball deemed to be reckless.”

Despite the Premier League’s explanation, the decision continues to divide opinion. Everton nearly took the lead in the first half through Beto, who struck the post, while another effort was ruled out for offside after a close call involving Virgil van Dijk.

With VAR once again at the center of controversy, the Premier League faces renewed scrutiny over the consistency of officiating decisions in high-stakes matches.

Liverpool star  commits  future to his current club, signing a new five-year contract that puts an end to speculation over a summer move.

The Reds had been monitoring Gomes closely, but with this deal now in place, they will need to look elsewhere for midfield reinforcements.

It’s shaping up to be an incredibly busy summer for Liverpool, with both arrivals and departures set to define the transfer window.

The club faces crucial decisions regarding three of their biggest stars—Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold—who are all entering the final months of their contracts. By July 1st, they will be free agents unless new agreements are reached.

Liverpool Star Commits Future to Club, but questions remain over others in the squad. Ibrahima Konaté, Caoimhin Kelleher, Jarrell Quansah, Joe Gomez, Wataru Endo, Darwin Núñez, and Luis Díaz have all attracted interest from other clubs.

Whether due to contract uncertainties or concerns over playing time, their futures remain up in the air.

On the incoming front, Liverpool are keen on Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, but any deal will require lengthy negotiations.

Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez is another target, though his club won’t let him leave cheaply. With so many moving pieces, the Reds risk a drawn-out summer window.

A Contract is Signed

One transfer saga, however, is officially over. Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes has put pen to paper on a five-year contract, shutting down any potential move to Anfield this summer.

Liverpool had been actively tracking the Brazilian, believing he could fill a key role in their midfield.

Recent reports suggested that the Reds were engaged in discussions to explore a deal. However, with Gomes committing to Wolves, Liverpool will have to reassess their options. While this may be a setback for now, the club is likely to continue monitoring his progress.

Liverpool Star Commits Future to Club—but in this case, it’s a player they had hoped to sign, not one of their own. For now, Gomes remains out of reach, and Liverpool will have to shift focus to other targets as they shape their squad for the future.

Liverpool moved a big step closer to winning the Premier League title on Wednesday with a narrow win in the Merseyside Derby.

The Reds knew a big night lay ahead having had a chastening week prior to the March international break.

In retrospect, a Merseyside Derby was the perfect way for Liverpool to bounce back and send a statement to the rest of the Premier League.

It was not a pretty win by any means but the Reds got the job done, Diogo Jota’s second-half goal winning the game.

Jota has been in the spotlight of late having had a torrid time in-front of goal recently. But the Liverpool striker has had nothing compared to the attention heading Trent Alexander-Arnold’s way during the past two weeks.

With Alexander-Arnold looking likely to join Real Madrid, the right-back has become a divisive figure at Anfield. And with injury ruling him out of Wednesday’s game, he was spotted watching on from the stands during what could be his last ever derby as a Liverpool player.

Trent Alexander-Arnold enjoys Merseyside Derby

Given all the noise around him recently, you could not blame Alexander-Arnold for wishing to keep his head down and stay as in the shadows as possible.

However, the 26-year-old was watching on at Anfield on Wednesday, spotted sitting alongside Joe Gomez as the Reds recorded a big win.

With Liverpool winning 1-0 and the clock ticking deep into the six minutes of injury time, Sky Sports cameras panned to Trent watching on.

The right-back looked completely at ease, and smiled a slightly mischievous smile as the cameras hit him.

Without Trent or Conor Bradley, Arne Slot chose to field Curtis Jones in an unorthodox right-back position.

While the Liverpool academy graduate did well, Alexander-Arnold’s spot in the team should be secured if and when he makes it back from injury.

How did Curtis Jones do at right-back?

It remains to be seen exactly when Alexander-Arnold will be back in action for Liverpool. In the meantime it was at least nice to see him at Anfield for this one.

The way Trent embraces Curtis #LFC pic.twitter.com/VS9E2ulqYI

— Asim (@asim_lfc) April 2, 2025

On the pitch, right-back has become a slight problem position for Slot as the end of the season comes into view.

Bradley is Alexander-Arnold’s natural successor, but with Northern Irishman injured and Jarell Quansah not a right-back, Slot turned to Jones.

On the whole, the Scouser did a good job. As you’d expect, he looked assured in possession and was rarely troubled defensively either.

One crucial intervention late on stopped a dangerous ball into the box and on the whole Jones can be pleased with his night’s work.

Everton captain James Tarkowski approached Alexis Mac Allister to apologise for his horror challenge on the Liverpool star during the Merseyside derby.

Wednesday’s clash at Anfield was settled by Diogo Jota’s second-half strike, sending Liverpool 12 points clear at the top of the Premier League and within touching distance of the trophy.

But there was controversy in the first-half when Tarkowski avoided what appeared to be an obvious red card after wiping out Mac Allister on the edge of his own box.

While he made contact with the ball, the England international crashed through the Liverpool midfielder with his studs up high, smashing into Mac Allister’s calf and leaving him in need of treatment.

Tarkowski was booked by on-pitch referee Samuel Barrott with the incident then reviewed by VAR Paul Tierney.

VAR however agreed with Barrott’s on-field decision and advised no further action was needed.

Tarkowski’s challenge was widely condemned with former Premier League referee Mike Dean ‘astounded’ the defender remained on the pitch.

At the full time whistle, Tarkowski immediately approached Mac Allister with the two smiling and sharing some friendly words before parting on good terms.

‘I spoke to him, I apologised because it was not a great tackle,’ Tarkowski told Premier League Productions.

‘When the ball fell between us I actually thought he was going to come in and I was expecting a big, old-school 50-50 tackle.

‘He just pulled out of the tackle, as I lunged in my follow-through caught him really high.

‘I’ve apologised to him and he’s accepted it but not a great one from me.’

Everton boss David Moyes was initially convinced it was a ‘brilliant’ tackle from his skipper.

‘My first thought was it’s a brilliant tackle for a derby game,’ the Toffees boss said.

‘A tackle that maybe we would have seen a few years ago. But I understand that nowadays there’s things that are slightly different with follow throughs, so we might have got a bit lucky.’

Moyes was also frustrated that Liverpool’s winner was allowed to stand, convinced Luis Diaz was stood in an offside position when he teed up Jota.

‘The player behind Tarkowski interferes with him clearing it,’ Moyes said.

‘It’s a clear offside, I think it’s a very easy decision to give. I can’t understand any reason why that wouldn’t have been given offside. None at all.’

Liverpool reclaimed their 12-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a professional yet unremarkable 1-0 win against Everton.

The Reds were back to winning ways after last month’s losses to PSG and Newcastle United, with Liverpool one step closer to lifting the English championship after enacting revenge against Everton following their dramatic draw earlier this year.

The big talking point of the match, though, was James Tarkowski’s tackle on Alexis Mac Allister, with Mark Clattenburg saying the Everton defender should have seen red after his reckless challenge on the Liverpool no. 10.

And Everton legend Duncan Ferguson has now given his verdict on Tarkowski’s rash tackle on Mac Allister.

Duncan Ferguson slams ‘terrible decision’ not to send off James Tarkowski

Speaking on Sky Sports coverage of the match, the former Goodison Park striker was critical of the referee’s decision not to send off Tarkowski, with Ferguson in disbelief that the Everton defender was not shown a red card.

Although Liverpool ended up winning the match and claiming bragging rights in Merseyside for another season, Tarkowski’s challenge on Mac Allister was brutal and could have caused the Argentine some real damage if the foul played out differently.

And even for a former Premier League hard man in Ferguson, the Everton legend believed Tarkowski should have been sent off, with the England international lucky to not have been sent for an early shower at Anfield.

Ferguson said: “No arguments, straight red, absolutely. He knows what he’s doing. he’s come right through him, that’s a straight red all day long. It’s the referee’s first derby, maybe he’s a bit nervous to make the decision, but he should have been sent to the monitor. It’s a straight red. Terrible decision.”

Jamie Carragher agrees that James Tarkowsk should have seen red

It wasn’t just Ferguson on the Sky Sports panel who thought Tarkowski was lucky to have remained on the pitch, with Jamie Carragher also sharing his disbelief that the Everton defender escaped a red card against Liverpool.

Carragher said when asked about Tarkowski’s tackle on Mac Allister: “In terms of the referee, he is in a brilliant position. He has to see that. It is a shocking tackle and there should be no debate.

“It is an awful tackle. He knows what he is doing. Tarkowski has got previous as well, against Everton for Burnley. The referee not giving it is bad but for Paul Tierney not to give that on VAR is shocking.”

Mike Dean explains why James Tarkowski should have been sent off in furious VAR rant

James Tarkowski was fortunate to avoid a red card for a nasty challenge on Alexis Mac Allister in Everton’s Merseyside derby clash with Liverpool on Wednesday night.

Mike Dean has voiced his opinion that James Tarkowski should have seen red during Everton’s Merseyside derby clash with Liverpool on Wednesday night at Anfield, where the home side were aiming to close in on the Premier League title.

The match was charged with intensity from the start, and Everton skipper Tarkowski made a contentious move in the 11th minute with a risky tackle on Liverpool’s midfielder Alexis Mac Allister. Although Tarkowski hit the ball first, his follow-through was high on Mac Allister’s left leg, leaving the Argentine writhing in pain on the field and Arne Slot shaking his head on the touchline.

Initially, Tarkowski was only shown a yellow card for his action. The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) reviewed the incident, and Sky Sports commentator Gary Neville was among those who felt it warranted a sending off, commenting: “It is a horrible tackle. He did not need to follow through like that”. Paul Merson was also disgusted by the decision.

However, VAR decided to uphold referee Sam Barrott’s original decision. A statement from PGMOL confirmed: “The referee’s call of yellow card for a reckless foul by Tarkowski was checked by the VAR, with contact on the follow through after Tarkowski had played the ball deemed to be reckless.”.

Yet, ex-Premier League referee Dean, typically a staunch defender of VAR and officiating decisions, expressed outrage at the outcome, failing to comprehend why Tarkowski wasn’t dismissed.

During his appearance on Sky Sports, Dean said: “Tarkowski’s played the ball… but when you see the still (image), the follow through is awful. I mean – he hasn’t got his foot planted luckily enough, but it’s a red card. There’s speed, intensity, force – the lot. He gets the ball, but the follow through – it’s a terrible challenge.

“For me, he (Barrott) should’ve gone to the screen, should’ve sent Tarkowski off – 100 percent. It is a horrible challenge. It is a red card all day.”

Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock didn’t hold back as he expressed his agreement with Dean’s opinion, strongly criticising Tarkowski’s tackle during his commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live: “This challenge is nasty from James Tarkowski. He wins the ball, but follows-through on Alexis Mac Allister.”

The ex-Red continued by saying, “Tarkowski knows exactly what he’s doing in that situation. I think it is so dangerous. It is out of control from Tarkowski.”

Warnock also took issue with referee Sam Barrott’s performance, particularly for missing a foul against Liverpool’s Luis Diaz in the first half.

Warnock concluded with critical remarks about the official’s handling of the game: “He is finding this difficult, Sam Barrott. That is a foul on Luis Diaz Diaz shows the ball to Jake O’Brien and O’Brien takes him out.”

Arne Slot Admits Selection Regret in Liverpool’s Carabao Cup Final Defeat to Newcastle

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has admitted he may have made a mistake with his team selection in the Reds’ 2-1 Carabao Cup final defeat to Newcastle United at Wembley.

Slot made only two changes from the side that played 120 minutes against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League just days earlier. Caoimhin Kelleher replaced Alisson Becker in goal, continuing his role as Liverpool’s designated League Cup goalkeeper, while Jarell Quansah filled in at right-back for the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Following back-to-back losses, many have questioned whether Slot should have rotated his squad more. Ahead of facing Everton, the Liverpool boss acknowledged in hindsight that he might have erred, particularly by not starting Wataru Endo in midfield.

“Maybe, maybe, maybe I made the biggest mistake by not rotating enough,” Slot admitted. “I thought four days was enough recovery time, but perhaps I should have made more changes.”

However, Slot was keen to emphasize that Newcastle deserved credit for their performance. “It’s too simple to say we were just outworked. We conceded a goal from a corner—that has nothing to do with sprinting or tracking back,” he explained.

On Endo’s omission, Slot admitted: “He probably deserved to start when you look at what he has done for the team, especially in the League Cup. Maybe I made the wrong decision by not starting him, that’s a better way to put it. But we’ll never know.”

Slot also defended his in-game decisions, explaining that his substitutions were made with the intention of chasing the game. “If we were leading, you could expect me to bring in Wata. But when we needed a goal, I had to prioritize attacking players. I brought in Curtis (Jones), Harvey (Elliott), and Federico (Chiesa), while pushing Ryan (Gravenberch) into a deeper role. I already had Darwin (Núñez), Cody (Gakpo), and Mo (Salah) on the pitch.”

Despite the criticism, Slot insisted there was logic behind his initial selection. “We beat Newcastle at home with the same starting players, and we dominated them in the second half when we faced them away. So there was a rationale behind the line-up,” he concluded.

Liverpool has been training ahead of facing Everton in the Merseyside derby. Arne Slot will offer a full injury update in his pre-game press conference on Tuesday.

After what has felt like an age, Liverpool will be back in Premier League action in just a couple of days. Three and a half weeks after beating Southampton at Anfield, the Reds will host Everton.

Five wins and a draw is the maximum that Liverpool needs from its final nine games of the campaign to get over the line in the title race, with Arsenal currently 12 points behind. It’s not done yet, but it is edging closer.

Here’s what we spotted in the Liverpool training session that Arne Slot oversaw in Kirkby. One midfielder made a return, while another couple of players were in training having sat out games for their countries during the international break.

Ryan Gravenberch and Alisson boost as Tyler Morton returns

As expected, Liverpool duo Ryan Gravenberch and Alisson Becker were both involved in today’s training session. The former returned home early from international duty with a knock while the latter picked up a head injury in Brazil’s first game and then sat out its second because of concussion protocols.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Conor Bradley both remain out while Joe Gomez was spotted training alone. None are back in team training yet, meaning that Jarell Quansah is likely to be the man deployed at right-back, as he did against Newcastle United at Wembley last time out.

Having been out with a shoulder injury, Liverpool midfielder Tyler Morton was spotted taking part in the session with his teammates. While a move away would make sense in the summer, he will hope to make another appearance before then.

Harvey Elliott and Federico Chiesa out to impress

With Liverpool edging closer to securing the Premier League title, there should be a chance for some fringe players to get a chance before the campaign ends. Harvey Elliott and Federico Chiesa, were all smiles here and the pair will be hoping to show what they can do in games — not just in training — in the next couple of months.

Neither has played as often as they would have liked under Slot so far. With free midweeks between games (after the derby), they will get opportunities in training to catch the eye. What they produce could be instructive come the summer when big transfer decisions lie ahead.

Liverpool all smiles inside and out.

After some indoor work, the Liverpool players headed out onto the grass. Strength and conditioning is important, of course, but the session looked much more fun and enjoyable with the balls out.

Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson shared a joke while Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah looked relaxed amid the wait for news on their contracts. Slot was happy to be back with his players, too, with the Reds boss keeping a close eye on the session.

After facing Everton on Wednesday, Liverpool will then take on Fulham at Craven Cottage at the weekend. Arsenal plays both of those teams this week as well, with the Gunners holding very faint hopes of catching up before the campaign ends.