Robbie Savage demands Premier League change now after ‘Absurd’ Liverpool incident
Robbie Savage has hit out at the Premier League following Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Everton on Wednesday.
The Reds ended their local rivals’ nine-match unbeaten run and took a step closer to the Premier League title with victory at Anfield (2 April).
A controversial Diogo Jota strike decided the contest but there was another incident that left pundits and supporters of the Anfield outfit stunned.
Savage calls for change after Liverpool controversy
Liverpool were outraged when James Tarkowski avoided a red for a horror challenge on Alexis Mac Allister in the first half of the clash.
The Blues defender won the ball initially, but the follow-through was reckless and could have broken the Argentina midfielder’s leg.
Savage believes that the Premier League needs to make a change to VAR after the officials failed to correct referee Sam Barratt’s on-field decision.
Writing in his column in the print edition of the Daily Mirror (page 59, 5 April), Savage said: “The case for ex-professional players joining VAR panels to help reach the correct decisions is now overwhelming.
“After the absurd failure to send off James Tarkowski for his poor tackle on Alexis Mac Allister in the Merseyside Derby, something has to give.”
Liverpool subject to another VAR error
The PGMOL admitted that it was a mistake not to send the Everton defender off but it is not the first time that officials have come to the wrong decision against the Reds.
Luckily for the Reds, they are out of sight in the Premier League title race, so bad decisions should not faze them too much at the moment.
| Premier League | Played | GD | Points |
| 1. Liverpool | 30 | +43 | 73 |
| 2. Arsenal | 30 | +30 | 61 |
The most high-profile error of the VAR era was when Luis Diaz had a goal ruled out against Tottenham when he was blatantly onside in the 2023/24 campaign.
The relationship between Liverpool supporters and the PGMOL is already strained due to that incident and the controversial actions of David Coote, which came to light earlier this season.
It was soured further when Arne Slot was forced to serve a touchline ban in March due to being dismissed after the final whistle in the reverse fixture at Goodison Park.
The PGMOL has a lot of work to do to rebuild trust with football supporters in general, but especially with the Anfield faithful.