Gary Lineker could not understand why Liverpool’s players did not strongly protest Andy Robertson’s 17th-minute red card during the Reds’ 2-2 draw with Fulham, as he described his sending-off as an “extraordinary decision”.
The Match of the Day host labelled the entire situation “a mess” while dissecting the decision on the BBC’s flagship programme.
After a 10-day hiatus from Premier League football, the Reds hosted Fulham at Anfield, aiming to extend their lead at the top of the table.
Robertson’s early dismissal significantly influenced the outcome as Liverpool was forced to play with 10 men for nearly 80 minutes after the Scot was sent off for fouling Harry Wilson, which the league confirmed was for denying a goalscoring opportunity.
However, Lineker was far from convinced. saying: “They didn’t seem to complain too much about it after the game, but I found it an extraordinary decision. There’s no denial of a goalscoring opportunity, because he has the opportunity, which is a red herring.
“So, therefore, they eventually give it, because, they think [Wilson] is going to get the ball. Now there is zero chance that Harry Wilson is going to get on the end of that.
“You see how hard he hits it. He’s never going to get across there… Obviously, the decision was the foul on Wilson, but it’s just a mess. The nuance of the law is just a mess on that one, as well.”
Following his red card, Robertson is set to miss just the one game — Wednesday’s Carabao Cup quarter-final at Southampton.
While that is good news for Liverpool as far as the team’s league campaign is concerned, Arne Slot has a decision to make at left-back against Southampton, with Kostas Tsimikas also unavailable due to injury.
One possible solution could be for Joe Gomez to move out to left-back, with Jarell Quansah coming in at center-back.
