Liverpool manager Arne Slot was reported to be “raging” at Michael Oliver after he showed him a red card after full-time in the 2-2 draw at Everton, with a Sky Sports man giving his insight into the incident, while an ex-PGMOL chief claims the referee made “a mistake”.
A fiery last-ever Merseyside derby at Goodison Park will be remembered for years after a total of FOUR red cards were brandished after the final whistle. While Liverpool hoped they might escape with a vital win to fire them nine points clear at the top after goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Mo Salah cancelled out Beto’s early opener, the Toffees equalised deep into stoppage time through James Tarkowski’s volley.
However, the real controversy came after the game when Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure goaded the Liverpool fans over the result; antics which saw Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones confront him, which then caused some unsavoury scenes. Both men were sent off for their part in the scuffle.
A frustrated Liverpool manager Slot was then shown a red himself after aggressively shaking Oliver’s hand, which ensured he was banned from taking press duties after the game and also meant he will serve a one-match touchline ban on Sunday in the Anfield clash against Wolves. Slot’s assistant Sipke Hulshoff was also later given a red card.
Explaining the story behind Slot’s fury and what sparked him to aggressively shake Oliver’s hand, Sky Sports journalist Lewis Jones gave his take on the chaos from inside the ground.
Arne Slot’s reaction to Everton’s 98th-minute equaliser 😤 Jordan Pickford’s knee slide in the background 👀 That ending was ridiculous. pic.twitter.com/T4EqIiAtRA — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 12, 2025
“In the drama of it all, Liverpool are fuming at the decision not to award a foul from Beto for a push on Konate,” said Jones, as per the Sky Sports website.
“That’s why Arne Slot was raging at full-time and was shown a red card. It’s such a big moment for many, many reasons.”
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Slot was also said to be less than impressed that the decision to allow Tarkowski’s goal to stand amid suggestions Doucoure had been in an offside position in the build-up.
The Premier League Match Centre made no reference to the supposed foul when posting an explainer on X over the goal, instead just confirming that Doucoure was onside in the build-up.
‘The referee’s call of goal was checked and confirmed by the VAR- who established that Doucoure was in an onside position in the build-up,’ the post stated.
However, former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett reckons Oliver made a mistake, telling Football Insider: “Liverpool were on the wrong end of a poor decision by Michael Oliver to award Everton a free kick which led to their first goal. There was no foul. Oliver got it wrong.”
Hackett added: “Having had the pleasure of refereeing Merseyside derby games, the passion and the temperature fluctuates and when officiating, you have to maintain control.
“It is always a testing game and Michael Oliver worked hard to maintain control.”
Reds skipper Virgil van Dijk, though, was not impressed, telling TNT Sports after the match: “Intense, it was always going to be intense.
“A lot of battles. Obviously, it’s very disappointing to lose it in the last second of the game – or even over extra time – but it is what it is. It’s not easy to accept it, especially in the manner of how, but we take it, and we go on.
“I think the referee had a big part in the game today in terms of certain challenges were given as fouls and similar weren’t. In the end, it is just disappointing to concede a very good strike, but a disappointing one.”
Latest Liverpool news: FSG’s £72m Salah incentive; Carragher wants Isak
The bitter aftertaste of the Goodison draw also spilled onto social media with Liverpool fans left angry at Rio Ferdinand’s comments on both Dominik Szoboszlai’s “embarrassing” tumble and, more bizarrely, Van Dijk’s hair.
Meanwhile, FSG have been advised that handing Salah a new deal worth £500k a week can actually save the club more than £70m. That’s after a controversial pundit broke down the finances involved in handing the Egyptian a bumper new deal and explained how new kit sponsors Adidas can help finance a new contract.
Elsewhere, Jamie Carragher has explained why he thinks the Reds could make a surprise club-record move for Alexander Isak this summer, having explained why he thinks Liverpool have a key advantage over Arsenal in the quest to sign the Newcastle striker.
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Liverpool boss ‘raging’ at Michael Oliver over red card at Everton as Sky Sports journalist shares update
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