Referee Sam Barrott has now provided an explanation for Darwin Nunez’s peculiar yellow card, even though the Liverpool forward was kicked in the shins by Jordan Pickford. Similar to the rematch, Wednesday night’s Merseyside derby was controversial as Liverpool defeated Everton 1-0.
There is ongoing discussion about why James Tarkowski’s careless studs-up challenge on Alexis Mac Allister in the early going was not penalised by the referee or VAR, particularly considering that commentators like Duncan Ferguson and Gary Neville called it a “leg-breaker.” Although Everton manager David Moyes maintains that Diogo Jota’s goal should have been disallowed for offside after Luis Diaz was stood beyond the defensive line, Jota’s goal ultimately determined the outcome of the game.
Nunez was booted by Pickford after play had already been stopped for a prior foul earlier in the same sequence, and now attention is on the perplexing decision to book him.
Why Darwin Nunez Was Booked After Clash With Pickford
He was shown yellow for unsporting behaviour
Darwin Nunez has always taken delight in bringing about change, whether for the better or worse, despite all the criticism he gets for his inconsistent play in front of goal. This unpredictability has earned him the moniker “Captain Chaos,” and as expected, he was right in the thick of things at Anfield barely minutes after coming off the bench.
The 25-year-old was chasing down a long ball when he was clattered into by Jordan Pickford as he tried to clear the ball. However, Nunez ended up in the referee’s book even though he was the one who was fouled. View the incident below:
Since the event took place after the referee had blown the whistle for a foul on Dominik Szoboszlai back in the Liverpool half, it was never reviewed. After the medical staff attended to Nunez on the pitch, he was given a yellow card.
The Premier League website states that Nunez received a booking following a “delay” in the game. It is likely that the Uruguayan received a warning for being unsporting and wasting time. The striker first landed beyond the touchline, but he slid back onto the pitch after Pickford properly wounded him. View the incident below:
His behaviour undoubtedly contributed to Liverpool wasting a few more minutes as the Reds managed to hold on and hand Everton their first away loss since David Moyes rejoined the team in January. Additionally, it means that Liverpool can win their second Premier League title in five years with just four victories from their remaining eight games.
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