Everton's centre-back James Tarkowski escaped a red card during the Merseyside derby with Liverpool despite a potential "leg breaking" challenge
20:31, 02 Apr 2025Updated 20:31, 02 Apr 2025
James Tarkowski
James Tarkowski avoided a red card(Image: Sky Sports)
James Tarkowski escaped with just a booking despite a "potential leg breaking" challenge against Liverpool in the Merseyside derby.
Tarkowski came racing out of the Everton penalty area to block a shot as he dived into a challenge, he did win the ball but his high boot caught Alexis Mac Allister. And Gary Neville, who was on comms for Sky Sports, called it a "potential leg breaker".
Article continues below
He added: "He got the ball but he knew what he was doing. He is lucky...It is a horrible tackle. He did not need to follow through like that."
The centre-back was initially handed a yellow card before the decision went to VAR - who agreed with the verdict and decided there should be no further punishment.
PGMOL rules state that serious foul play is "a tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force or brutality must be sanctioned as serious foul play".
James Tarkowski
James Tarkowski was only given a yellow card(Image: Sky Sports)
"Any player who lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force or endangers the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious foul play."
VAR would have been checking for this in the challenge and if there was a clear and obvious error from the on-field team.
And the Premier League Match Centre posted: "The referee’s call of yellow card for a reckless foul by Tarkowski was checked by the VAR, with contact on the follow through after Tarkowski had played the ball deemed to be reckless."
Don't miss a thing with football updates!
Want to be on the ball with all of the latest football news? Well then sign up for the brilliant Daily Star Football email newsletter!
From the latest transfer news to breaking stories, get it all in your email inbox.
How do you sign up?
It only takes a matter of seconds.
Simply click on this link, then provide your email address and that's it, job done. You'll receive an email with all of the top football stories.
You can also sign up for our sport email, Off the Ball, for all the latest darts, boxing, snooker, F1 stories and more, right here
However, Mike Dean disagreed with VAR and he told Soccer Special: "He should have gone to the screen and he should be off. It is a horrible challenge...It is a red card all day."
Article continues below
While Stephen Warnock, on BBC Radio 5 Live, said: "This challenge is nasty from James Tarkowski. He wins the ball, but follows-through on Alexis Mac Allister.
"Tarkowski knows exactly what he's doing in that situation. I think it is so dangerous. It is out of control from Tarkowski."