Sadio Mane escaped one of the fastest red cards in Premier League history just six seconds into Liverpool’s trip to Chelsea before opening the scoring eight minutes later.
The forward appeared to strike Cesar Azpilicueta in the face as the duo went up for a ball in the first minute and while he received a yellow card from Anthony Taylor, a visibly infuriated Thomas Tuchel clearly believed it warranted a red.
i understands that the incident was checked by VAR, but was deemed to be reckless rather than constituting violent conduct – particularly as his arm was straight rather than swinging – so the original decision was not overturned.
Mane then capitalised on a botched headed clearance from Trevoh Chalobah to open the scoring past Edouard Mendy.
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“I think it’s reckless, it’s a red card for me,” said Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in the Sky Sports studio. “He knows exactly what he’s doing it’s an elbow – if you give a yellow card it should be a red card.”
Graeme Souness concurred, labelling the challenge “violent” and “dangerous”.
Former Liverpool centre-back Jamie Carragher was the only pundit on hand to disagree, describing it as falling into the “orange category” – “worse than a yellow but not as bad as a red.”
“The point of his elbow gets him rather than his forearm,” Carragher said. “It’s the fact it’s his forearm, closer to his wrist than his elbow – and the fact it’s six seconds – that makes it a red not a yellow.”
“Are you serious?” Hasselbaink responded. “Have you got your red head or your football head on? … It’s endangering the player”
It is likely to be Mane’s final game before the Senegal international departs for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
The same applies to Mohamed Salah, of course, who doubled Liverpool’s lead with an exquisite touch to control Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross and finishing at the near post.
Mason Mount also survived a VAR check for an apparent kick on Kostas Tsimikas but with Chelsea keeping 11 men on the pitch, they mounted a comeback before half-time thanks to a spectacular volley from Mateo Kovacic and a top-corner finish from Christian Pulisic.
Azpilicueta responds
When asked for his thoughts on the incident, Azpilicueta insisted Mane was guilty of a “clear red”.
“I don’t mind if it’s five seconds into the game, first action, it’s a clear red,” he told Sky Sports. “He doesn’t want to challenge, he doesn’t see the ball, he just wants to hit with the elbow. I honestly don’t understand we have these type of decisions – the other day, two penalties the VAR didn’t come, today, it’s a clear red card. Of course we are getting these decisions against us that could change the way of the game.
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“They will say what they think, but I can’t understand we are promoting the challenges in the Premier League, 50-50 with the ball, sometimes we are seeing a joke of penalties, and sometimes we see real, dangerous actions and we don’t take action.”
Premier League referees are coming under particular scrutiny this season, with Azpilicueta adding his voice to the growing chorus of critics.
“There are a few games where the referees become a bit softer, in terms of penalties and red cards,” he added. “Then it comes opposite, because they speak, I don’t know what happens, but we don’t see the consistency even in the same game all through the season. It’s disappointing these type of decisions it’s clear. I watched the replay but I didn’t need this because in life I knew it was a clear red.”
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3mPCCGL
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