The Premier League have explained why Issa Diop escaped a red card just minutes into Liverpool’s clash with Fulham.
The Cottagers defender caught Andy Robertson extremely high on the left-back’s right knee as he desperately attempted to clear the ball.
Robertson had reached the ball before Diop and was bursting into the Fulham penalty area. The Frenchman’s wild swing at the ball saw him inadvertently strike the Scotland international’s knee.
There was no free-kick awarded to Liverpool as referee Tony Harrington brought play back for an earlier offside. However, he still deemed the Diop’s tackle worthy of a yellow card.
A brief pause in the game allowed VAR to assess the challenge for a potential red card. The Premier League have now explained why the officials chose not to send off Diop.
A statement posted on X by the Premier League Match Centre account read: “The referee issued a yellow card to Diop for a challenge on Robertson. VAR checked for a potential red card and confirmed the referee’s call of reckless challenge and yellow card.”
The threshold for a red card tends to be dictated by the force of the challenge. A tackle made with excessive force and that endangers the safety of an opponent tends to result in a red card. There will be many Liverpool fans who feel that Diop’s challenge falls under that category.
However, the VAR officials agreed with Harrington’s view that the action was simply reckless, which is the guidance used for tackles worthy of a yellow card.
In a remarkable turn of events, the tables soon turned as Robertson was sent off for denying a goal-scoring opportunity in the 17th minute. The 30-year-old brought down Harry Wilson as the Fulham star bore down on goal.
There was a momentary VAR check for offside but it quickly became apparent that Wilson was onside and the red card stood.
The Premier League Match Centre posted: “The referee issued a red card to Robertson for a foul on Wilson which denied a goal-scoring opportunity. VAR checked to confirm the red card and that Wilson was in an onside position.”
Liverpool had gone into the game hoping to extend their excellent start to the season. While many of their title rivals have dropped significant points over the past few weeks, the Reds had a record of only one defeat in 14 games ahead of the visit of Fulham.
