Liverpool will appeal the red card shown to Curtis Jones during Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Tottenham, with the midfielder facing a three-match ban.
Jones was sent off midway through the first half of a controversial defeat in north London, having been initially shown a yellow card.
A VAR check saw the initial booking upgraded to a red card, for a challenge that saw Liverpool’s No. 17 slip over the ball and into the leg of Yves Bissouma.
It was a questionable decision from referee Simon Hooper, though it is widely believed to have been swayed by VAR showing him a still image of contact prior to any replays on the pitchside monitor.
With Jones dismissed for serious foul play, the 22-year-old would be liable for a three-match ban.
However, Liverpool have launched an appeal to the FA against the red card, with an independent panel now set to assess the situation.
If overturned, Jones would be available for the Reds’ next Premier League game, which comes away to Brighton on Sunday.
He is already eligible to feature against Union SG in the Europa League on Thursday night, with domestic bans not applying in Europe.
But if the appeal is deemed ‘frivolous’, Jones’ ban could be extended to four games, which would see him absent vs. Brighton, Everton and Nottingham Forest in the league and Bournemouth in the League Cup.
It seems this is the reason for Liverpool appealing Curtis Jones' red card.
As I said, the still image biased the referee's decision-making process.
From this wording, they should win the appeal too. https://t.co/AaGe4Y6vsw pic.twitter.com/q4B2t3l9fv
— Matt Ladson (@mattladson) October 2, 2023
The motivation behind Liverpool’s appeal is likely to be the images Hooper was shown, which did not follow VAR protocol.
Speaking on the red card after the game – with Diogo Jota also dismissed for two bookable offences, which cannot be appealed – Jurgen Klopp criticised the VAR process.
“The first red card, Curtis steps on the ball and then rolls over the ball and hits the legs,” Klopp told Sky Sports.
“If you looked at it in slow motion, you think, ‘OK, that is maybe a red card’.
“If you are a football player, I am not sure you would [say it is a red]. Unlucky, not a bad tackle. Just stepped on the ball and goes over it.
“It looks different in slow motion, big time. He steps full throttle on the ball, there’s the power, and then goes over the ball. That is unlucky.”
Liverpool have already seen one successful appeal against a red card this season, with Alexis Mac Allister‘s dismissal against Bournemouth overturned.
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