Liverpool suffered some terrible decisions against Fulham, with former referee Mike Dean admitting that VAR made one significant mistake.
The Reds were only able to draw 2-2 at home against the Cottagers on Saturday afternoon, but there were some positives to take away from a thrilling Premier League match.
Andy Robertson was sent off in the 17th minute, but Liverpool shown their ability to comeback once more, coming from behind twice to earn a hard-fought point.
While Robertson’s red card was completely justified, resulting from a last-ditch foul on former Liverpool player Harry Wilson, one incredibly controversial judgement occurred prior to that.
Andrea Pereira’s terrible tackle on Ryan Gravenberch was only given a yellow card, despite replays proving that he scraped the Dutchman’s achilles.
Andreas Pereira gives Fulham a lead over Liverpool?
Mike Dean believes he should have received a red card. pic.twitter.com/VmBnQcMXsJ
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL). Dec. 14, 2024
When Pereira opened the goal, it added salt to Liverpool’s wounds, and Dean stated on Football Saturday that he shouldn’t have been on the pitch at all.
“Pereira grabbed Gravenberch by the top of his Achilles and scraped down. He is nowhere near the ball. “He knew what he was doing,” he explained.
“It’s 100 percent a red card.”
That was the most embarrassing refereeing performance I’ve ever witnessed. Is this what we’re getting now that their mate has been fired?
— Ian Salmon (@IanRSalmon), December 14, 2024.
This is just another example of Premier League officials’ incompetence, as bizarre decisions are made on a weekly basis.
It’s difficult to see how Stuart Attwell in the VAR booth could look back at Pereira’s tackle and not view it as a red card infraction.
While Tony Harrington’s decision was definitely the worst of the day, his whole performance as a referee was one of the worst of the season.
Joe Gomez was obviously fouled within the penalty area during the second half, but nothing was given, leaving the Anfield audience seething over the constant dubious rulings.
Premier League titles are frequently won by razor-thin margins, and the decision not to display Pereira a red card eventually had a significant role in the outcome.
Had the correct call been made, Fulham would have been down to ten men and Liverpool would have easily won, therefore Arne Slot has every reason to be upset.