30 September 2023 , 17:28
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Gary Neville slammed the decision to give Curtis Jones a straight red card during Liverpool's trip to Tottenham - and felt a yellow card would have been "fine".
Jones, 22, was initially cautioned for a late tackle on Yves Bissouma. However, VAR urged referee Simon Hooper to have another look at the challenge. Replays showed that Jones caught Bissouma on the bottom of the shin, after grazing the top of the ball when lunging in.
After having a look pitch-side VAR monitor, Hooper chose to overrule his initial decision and send Jones off, leaving Liverpool with 10-men for more than hour. But ex-Manchester United defender Neville does not think that was the correct call and admitted that it will "ruin" the game.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Neville said: "No, I know when you’re doing someone on purpose, I've done myself in the past, and he’s not doing that. He's [the VAR] showing him [the referee] the end motion and that’s not how it actually is - his foot slips over the top of the ball.
"It’s never a red card and he’s going to get one if it'll ruin the game. I think generally, he’s gone in genuinely but his foot slips on top of the ball. I’m not sure, I never am nowadays, I’m less sure about football than I ever have been but I don’t think he’s gone in with any malice.
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"If you see the end part of it in slow motion, you’ll come to the conclusion that it’s a red card. You have to look at the full motion at full speed, the speed of these players going into the tackles, Bissouma is flying in and so is Curtis Jones. But look, I felt a yellow would’ve been fine with the ambiguity that exists on something like that."
Liverpool's Curtis Jones was sent off after a late challenge on Yves Bissouma (Getty Images)After a bright start, the red card dampened the momentum Liverpool had in the game as Tottenham took the lead through Son Heung-min. James Maddison's inch-perfect pass found Richarlison inside the left channel and he squared the ball to Son, who tapped home from close-range.
Despite the man disadvantage, Liverpool responded well to going a goal behind and levelled in added-time as Cody Gakpo slammed home from close-range. It was a terrific finish from the Dutchman, who swivelled and crashed the ball into the back of the net beyond Vicario.