A Premier League independent panel have concluded that Diogo Jota should not have been sent off during Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Tottenham.
The Portuguese forward was introduced at half-time during the weekend’s clash and was shown two yellow cards in quick succession with around 20 minutes left on the clock.
It was a game littered with controversy, with Curtis Jones also dismissed in the first period and Luis Diaz‘s strike just before the break not allowed to stand due to a communicative error among between referee Simon Hooper and the VAR officials.
ESPN have reported that Independent Key Match Incidents Panel for the league deduced in their review of the latest round of fixtures that the second of two tackles on Destiny Udogie “did not meet the threshold” for a booking.
Jota’s first yellow came despite having made no contact with Udogie, who lost his own footing and fell to the floor.
The second booking, which came moments later, received far less scrutiny and was widely deemed to have been a foolish challenge from Liverpool’s No. 20 given the circumstances.
The panellists believe that this decision was also an incorrect one, with three of the five members voting against a booking being the correct outcome.
Jurgen Klopp took a similar view in discussing the second yellow card during his pre-Union SG press conference, insisting he “will never understand” why the 26-year-old was dismissed.
“The two situations; the first I think is clear not a yellow,” said the manager.
“The second I didn’t see actually back but it’s not important. If the first is not a yellow then we still play with 10 men.”
The latest Jota news is likely to further frustrate those of a Red persuasion, with many still seething from the other officiating shortcomings at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The PGMOL acknowledged that a “significant human error” caused Diaz’s goal not to count despite VAR officials Darren England and Dan Cook concluding that the Colombian was onside.
Klopp said the “only outcome should be a replay” when he was asked about the mistake, but that was not the only decision from the game that the club took exception to.
Liverpool also unsuccessfully appealed the decision to send Jones off in the first half for his challenge on Yves Bissouma, with the midfielder set to miss the league meetings with Brighton, Everton and Nottingham Forest.
Both England and Cook have been stood down from their Premier League duties this weekend, while Hooper is set to take his place as VAR for Bournemouth‘s trip to Everton.
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