PGMOL has acknowledged that Everton defender James Tarkowski should have been sent off for his tackle on Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister, according to Sky Sports News.
Tarkowski’s challenge, which occurred during Everton’s 1-0 loss at Anfield, involved a high and forceful contact with Mac Allister’s leg, even though Tarkowski initially won the ball. The tackle was deemed reckless, and Tarkowski was shown a yellow card by referee Sam Barrott. The decision was later reviewed by VAR, but it was upheld at the time.
PGMOL is understood to agree that Tarkowski did make contact with the ball first, but they also believe that the follow-through was dangerous enough to meet the criteria for serious foul play. In real time, referee Barrott considered the challenge to be reckless, and VAR checked to see if the yellow card decision was a clear and obvious error, concluding that it wasn’t. However, PGMOL’s view is that the VAR team should have recommended a review of the decision, ultimately leading to the original yellow card being overturned and a red card issued instead.
