Liverpool were deserved losers against Brighton, but they might have been able to turn it around if not for a referee mistake.
That’s the stance of former Reds Steven Gerrard and Peter Crouch, who were not happy with a first-half decision that saw the home side escape going down to ten men.
It’s not like Liverpool were playing well, but an extra man for most of the game could have given this tie a much different complexion.
The incident they refer to is Yankuba Minteh’s blatant dive inside the penalty area, when he was already on a yellow card.
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Steven Gerrard and Peter Crouch say Yankuba Minteh should have seen red vs Liverpool
Already in the book, Minteh attempted to bait Jeremie Frimpong into contact in the 18-yard box, but the Dutchman did not bite.
That didn’t stop the winger from hurling himself to the ground. That’s where Crouch and Gerrard take issue.
They were covering the game on TNT Sports, with Gerrard remarking: “Well I think he’s extremely lucky. It has been a great battle down that side. They’ve both got blistering pace. The ball gets played in behind here, there’s no contact and he just goes over.
Brighton & Hove Albion v Liverpool - Premier League
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“It is a dive in my opinion and he gets away with one here. He’s very very lucky.”
His former Liverpool teammate has a similar view, and was in full agreement with Arne Slot — who was livid on the sideline.
Crouch added: “I agree with Arne Slot there. It was obvious that he was looking for the penalty and he quite easily could have gone there.”
Liverpool did not deserve anything from this game. It was the version of this side that shows up more often than not this season — uninspired and flat. But that doesn’t mean this decision isn’t egregious, and the Reds have every right to be frustrated.
However, if Slot uses that as the sole excuse for another dismal loss, it’s not going to fly with the already-frustrated Liverpool fans.
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