Liverpool just about preserved their 100% start to the Premier League season on Sunday, emerging with a 1-0 win over Burnley courtesy of a Mo Salah penalty deep into stoppage time.
Despite having 27 shots to the home side’s three, the Reds literally needed a helping hand from Hannibal Mejbri to give them the opportunity to come away from Turf Moor with victory.
Whilst nobody could have any arguments over that decision from Michael Oliver, another call from the referee did elicit disagreement in the Sky Sports studio, namely the second yellow card shown to Lesley Ugochukwu for a rash lunge on Florian Wirtz.
Ugochukwu red card sparks debate in Sky Sports studio
Former top-flight official Dermot Gallagher made his customary appearance on Ref Watch on Monday morning, and he was joined by ex-Wolves and Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd, with the pair having contrasting views on the dismissal of the Burnley midfielder.
The ex-Premier League whistler agreed with Oliver’s decision, saying: “Why make a challenge like this? This will always be a second yellow card! That’s what the rules are. Sometimes the referees have to do what they don’t like.”
Bothroyd saw it differently as he argued: “I don’t think he should be sent off for that. If that was his first challenge, then yes, it’s a yellow card. But a second yellow? It’s not enough. Wirtz has just come across his legs.
“I don’t think that’s a yellow card offence, in my opinion. I think that’s really soft. Sometimes I want to see common sense.”
Ugochukwu could have few complaints
Some Liverpool fans may argue that Ugochukwu could’ve received a straight red card for his first-half lunge on Alexis Mac Allister, which left the Argentine midfielder needing treatment on the pitch and prompted his half-time substitution.
Whatever the rights or wrongs of that decision from Oliver, for the Burnley man to then jump in on Wirtz when already on a yellow was impetuous, and in our view he could have few complaints at being handed his marching orders.
The referee seemed to get all the big calls correct at Turf Moor, to be fair – that includes booking Milos Kerkez for an act of simulation that Jamie Carragher labelled ‘absolutely stupid‘.
The Hungarian ran the risk of a second yellow card for a challenge on Jaidon Anthony shortly afterwards, but thankfully Arne Slot was proactive enough to substitute Liverpool’s number 6 before he got himself rashly sent off.
Ugochukwu didn’t manage to toe the disciplinary line after his first booking, and he paid the price for lunging in on Wirtz, leaving Oliver with little choice but to reach for his pocket.
Bothroyd = should have gone to Specsavers 👁️🗨️👁️🗨️😂😂
Spot on !
He is correct in saying the foul on Wirtz wasn’t as potentially injurious as the one on MacA, but it was unnecessary.
I.m.o. though the one on MacA was a straight red.
A studs-up lunge, out of control ankle breaker. It pushed his ankle into an unnatural position with some force.
If it had impacted more side on and hadn’t glanced off the front of MacA’s ankle, we could’ve been looking at a similar situation as Son’s on Everton’s Gomez a season or two back.
With Tarkowski’s unpunished, premeditated and reckless lunge on MacA’s leg in the derby last season, one could be forgiven for thinking that MacA’s receiving some attention here that the game’s authorities should look at.
He got away with just a yellow for the awful tackle on MacAllister. That should have been a straight red.