James Tarkowski’s escape from a red card in the Merseyside derby at Anfield earlier this month infuriated Liverpool. Tarkowski slipped to clear the ball in the eleventh minute, and Alexis Mac Allister, a midfielder for Liverpool, was high on the leg of his follow-through.
Referee Sam Barratt only gave Tarkowski a yellow card despite protests from Liverpool players, even though the challenge left Mac Allister writhing across the floor in agony. After reviewing the situation, VAR came to the conclusion that Barratt had made the correct decision.
Later, Tarkowski expressed regret for the challenge. “I spoke to him and I apologised because it’s not a great tackle,” he told Optus Sports following the game. I was expecting a big, traditional 50-50 tackle as the ball fell between us, but instead he drew out a tackle, and when I went in, I followed through and caught him rather high. I apologised to him, and he accepted my apology. Yes, it’s not a very good one from me.
The VAR Audio for Tarkowski’s Alexis Mac Allister Challenge Is Released
It’s fascinating to see.
The most recent episode of ‘Match Officials Mic’d Up’ in 2024/25 featured five stories, including this one. Video of the debate between the match’s VAR officials has surfaced, and it’s an interesting watch. Check it out below…
Paul Tierney and Adam Nunn, the VAR officials, reviewed the event several times before coming to the conclusion that Tarkowski had won the ball first and that contact was inevitable.
According to Howard Webb, the head of the PGMOL, the match officials made a mistake and a red card ought to have been given. In an interview with Michael Owen on the show, he stated:
“This challenge is a red-card situation. The officials made a mistake by failing to send Tarkowski off. We have made a commitment to showcasing both instances of appropriate and inappropriate usage of VAR since the beginning of this show, and this was one of those instances.
“The referee observes that Tarkowski plays the ball on the pitch and believes that his style is careless. After verifying the on-field decision of a yellow card, the VAR overemphasises Tarkowski’s play of the ball.
However, Tarkowski chooses to play the ball that way. Even when playing with the ball, players must think about their opponent’s safety. Tarkowski puts Mac Allister’s safety in jeopardy by lunging into the challenge with excessive force. A red card ought to have been issued.
Diogo Jota scored the game-winning goal in the 57th minute to give Liverpool a 1-0 victory.
