Ibrahima Konate was not sent off during Liverpool’s 3-2 victory over Newcastle on Monday night. The match was supposed to be heated, with two sets of boisterous supporters and the Alexander Isak story surrounding it, and the action on the field certainly lived up to expectations. Despite being outplayed, the visitors won all three points thanks to a goal in the 100th minute by teenager Rio Ngumoha.
Anthony Gordon also made headlines after being sent off for an ill-timed lunge on Virgil van Dijk at the conclusion of the first half, potentially costing Newcastle all three points. While some Liverpool fans claimed that the game was already 10 versus 10 due to one player’s bad performance, some Newcastle fans felt Konate should have been sent out for a second bookable infraction that was not even granted as a free-kick.
Explanation of Why Konate Avoided Second Yellow Card
The incident occurred immediately after Hugo Ekitike scored Liverpool’s second of the night, as Bruno Guimaraes attempted to play through Harvey Barnes. Konate, who had already been booked in the opening 45 minutes, attempted to stop the Englishman in his tracks before knocking him to the ground.
On Sky Sports’ commentary, Chris Sutton labeled the challenge as a “shoulder to shoulder,” but closer analysis reveals that the French defender actually opted to force Barnes to the ground with both hands. Many were perplexed as to why Konate was not fined, as well as why Simon Hooper chose not to award Newcastle a free kick.
The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards was at St James’ Park and replied to the tackle after viewing it again, writing on X: “I just saw Konate’s foul on Barnes in the second half again. We did not have any replays in the press box. Erm, it was a distinct shove with one arm, not shoulder to shoulder, and it was in his back. That’s the second yellow card. The referee did not even call the foul.
The Sunday Times’ Duncan Castles expressed a similar sentiment, writing, “And Ibrahima Konate’s last-man shove on Harvey Barnes is a clear foul that should have been a second yellow card.”
While no formal explanation has been provided for why the former RB Leipzig player did not receive a second booking, one may be found in the International Football Association Board’s [IFAB] guidance on assigning fouls. An amended threshold for the 2025/26 season has been announced, which states:
“The Premier League’s match referees will retain a high threshold for penalising challenges – not every contact is a foul – while preserving player safety. The new threshold will also be applied to handball violations.”
As a result, it appears that referees are being urged to be much more forgiving in their on-field rulings. However, this has raised concerns among fans that decisions like the one in favour of Konate at St James’ Park will become more common, with one responding: “I noted from the new IFAB laws/PL football principles for the 2025/2026 season that referees have been advised not to penalize every challenge. IMO, this will result in many genuine fouls being ignored.”
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