By LEWIS BROWNING
Published: 04:45 EDT, 3 April 2025 | Updated: 04:49 EDT, 3 April 2025
PGMOL - the referee's governing body for the English game - have made a new admission on James Tarkowski's 'leg-breaker' challenge in the Merseyside derby.
The Everton defender caused uproar when he lunged in on Alexis Mac Allister in the opening minutes of the game, as he slid in to clear a ball and crunched his man on the follow through.
Mac Allister hit the deck in pain as Liverpool players swarmed referee Sam Barrott to call for the centre back to be given his marching orders - as Curtis Jones and Abdoulaye Doucoure were in the reverse fixture just weeks ago.
It was widely expected that a VAR review would see Barrott's yellow card decision overturned, but no change was made and Tarkowski played on, completing the 90 minutes.
Ultimately, Liverpool won the game 1-0, but it could have been a different story had they been up against 10 men for the majority of the match.
And that should have been the case, according to PGMOL, who have admitted that the wrong decision was made and that Tarkowski should have been sent packing.
More to follow.
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