Liverpool Fans Left Fuming Over Premier League’s Ruling on Pereira Red Card Controversy“
Liverpool fans are likely to be enraged tonight after witnessing Andreas Pereira’s fortunate escape during Fulham’s 2-2 draw at Anfield, especially after he scored just moments after a contentious challenge.
Pereira received a yellow card early in the game for a reckless tackle on Ryan Gravenberch, which scraped down the back of the Liverpool midfielder’s Achilles.
Replays suggested a red card should have been issued. Just two minutes later, Pereira took advantage of poor defending and scored.
Although the Premier League Match Centre on X explained the decisions surrounding Issa Diop’s non-red card for his foul on Andy Robertson and Robertson’s subsequent red card, they did not address Pereira’s incident.
The Liverpool Echo contacted the Premier League for clarification and learned that VAR agreed with the referee’s decision to issue only a yellow card.
How Pereira avoided a red card remains unclear. If VAR’s Stuart Attwell reviewed the incident and decided it only warranted a yellow, it’s hard to understand his reasoning, especially since former top-flight official Mike Dean said it was “100%” a red card offense.
The challenge was dangerous and could have severely injured Gravenberch, who, thankfully, continued playing. The Premier League’s weak explanation left many Liverpool fans frustrated.
This incident has once again cast doubt on the Premier League’s officiating standards, especially as VAR failed to act in such a clear-cut situation. The situation was made even more frustrating by Pereira’s goal shortly after.
This brings up further concerns about why VAR communications aren’t shown live, with fans only receiving an explanation afterward, when it’s too late to reverse any decisions.
Football fans deserve more transparency regarding controversial decisions like this one.
