Referee Lewis Smith shows a yellow card to Liverpool's Uruguayan striker #09 Darwin Nunez during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Southampton at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on March 8, 2025. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Newcastle United's players and staff will have been watching on with intrigue as Liverpool faced Southampton on Saturday afternoon - and may have, at one stage, felt like they were about to be handed a timely Carabao Cup final boost.
Liverpool ran out 3-1 winners over the Premier League's basement boys, with help from striker Darwin Nunez. The Uruguayan levelled the tie on 51 minutes before winning a penalty that was converted by Mohamed Salah.
Before that, Nunez was punished with a yellow card for a wild kick out at Southampton's Kyle Walker-Peters in the first-half. Many, however, have voiced their opinion that the forward should be have sent for an early bath.
Referee Lewis Smith, on his first Premier League game, brandished the booking, while VAR backed up the decision after a lengthy check. However, pundit Chris Sutton told BBC 5 Live: “It was such a reckless, daft challenge. Liverpool lucky to have 11 on the pitch.”
Meanwhile, former-Premier League ref Mark Halsey also insisted Nunez was lucky to remain on the pitch, telling the Sun: “Nunez deliberately kicked an opponent when there was no chance of getting the ball. It was violent conduct. On another day, with another referee, it would have been a red.”
On the other end of the incident, fellow ex-referee Mike Dean jumped to Nunez's defence, arguing that the VAR check - and subsequent decision not to award anything stronger than a yellow - was the right call.
"I think the right decision is yellow [card]," he told Sky Sport's Soccer Saturday panel. "It looks really bad, but when you see it from another angle, it's knee on knee. From another angle, it looks like he's completely launched him, but he hasn't."
With the cup final approaching, Liverpool have just one hurdle left to overcome - PSG in the Champions League. Meanwhile, Newcastle face West Ham United without Anthony Gordon, who will also miss the Wembley showpiece.