James Tarkowski wrongly escaped a red card for “serious foul play” for a dangerous tackle on Alexis Mac Allister in the Merseyside derby on Wednesday night, Howard Webb has acknowledged.
Telegraph Sport has been told the head of Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) believes referee Sam Barrott’s decision to book Everton defender Tarkowski for a high and studs-up challenge on Liverpool midfielder Mac Allister should have been overturned.
The challenge, which left Arne Slot on the brink of another derby bust-up, sparked a sharp intake of breath from Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville. “That’s a potential leg-breaker,” the ex-Manchester United full-back said.
Former top-tier referees Mike Dean and Keith Hackett joined Neville in expressing dismay at the failure by video assistant referee Paul Tierney to recommend an on-field review.
🗣️ "That's a potential leg breaker"
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 2, 2025
Gary Neville believes James Tarkowski was 'very lucky' to escape red for this challenge on Alexis Mac Allister 😳 pic.twitter.com/Di28mHouq2
The tackle left Liverpool manager Slot, sanctioned seven weeks earlier after confrontations that followed Tarkowski’s equaliser at Goodison Park, prowling the touchline shaking his head.
“He did not need to follow through like that,” Neville said on Sky, adding Tarkowski had been “lucky” to avoid being sent off. “It’s such force and it’s high. If you’re a defender, you could put your foot on the ground as soon as you kick the ball if you want to,” Neville explained.
“The only reason you leave studs in the air is to make contact with someone’s shin. I think he’s very lucky there Tarkowski... I think it’s a bad one. That’s a potential leg-breaker.”
Carragher: ‘Tarkowski has previous’
At half-time on Sky, Telegraph Sport columnist Jamie Carragher said Tarkowski had form for meaty challenges, highlighting a tackle from the defender’s days at Burnley when they faced Everton in September 2021.
“In terms of the referee, he is in a brilliant position,” said Carragher. “He has to see that. It is a shocking tackle and there should be no debate. It is an awful tackle. He knows what he is doing. Tarkowski has got previous as well, against Everton for Burnley.”
Rafael Benítez, who was Everton manager at the time of Tarkowski’s foul while at Burnley, said in 2021: “It is quite dangerous, these kinds of things you have to be careful of. One thing is to be physical and challenge – that is OK – but the other one is that these kinds of tacklers are quite dangerous for the integrity of the opponent.”
Carragher also expressed astonishment at the failure by VAR Tierney to intervene on Wednesday night. Tierney infamously had a number of clashes with former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp and it is fair to say he is not the most popular official on the red half of Merseyside. “The referee not giving it is bad but for Paul Tierney not to give that on VAR is ...
