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“Arne Slot’s Furious Reaction Speaks Volumes as Tarkowski Escapes Red Card in Liverpool Clash
James Tarkowski was fortunate not to be shown a straight red card in the early minutes of Wednesday’s Merseyside derby after a reckless lunge at Alexis Mac Allister.
After the chaotic scenes in the first meeting between the two teams two months ago, referee Sam Barrott hoped for a calmer evening at Anfield.
However, it quickly became clear that would not be the case, as Tarkowski first clashed with Ibrahima Konate in the Everton penalty area following a Liverpool corner.
Soon after, Tarkowski went in hard on Mac Allister in a tackle that should have resulted in a red card.
While the Everton defender won the ball, his follow-through, which appeared intentional, caught Mac Allister high on the back of the calf.
Mac Allister received treatment on the field but was fortunately able to continue.
As he lay on the turf, Barrott issued Tarkowski a yellow card, marking his 63rd in the Premier League—the joint most by any player in the division without ever being sent off.
Arne Slot, however, felt that this statistic should no longer stand. He immediately turned to the fourth official, expressing his frustration over the decision, despite his earlier promise to keep his cool during the derby, unlike the previous fiery encounter at Goodison Park.
The decision was reviewed by VAR official Paul Tierney, but Gary Neville, commenting on the game, agreed with Slot that Tarkowski had gotten off lightly—a sentiment echoed by Mike Dean and Paul Merson.
In an explanation posted on the Premier League’s Match Center account on X, the league clarified:
“The referee’s decision to issue a yellow card for a reckless foul by Tarkowski was checked by VAR, with the follow-through deemed to be reckless after Tarkowski had played the ball.”
Tarkowski had been the hero in February’s reverse fixture, scoring a dramatic equalizer in injury time.
His last-minute goal sparked wild celebrations among Everton fans, followed by a chaotic scene on the pitch after the final whistle, which saw four red cards handed out by referee Michael Oliver.
