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James Tarkowski's crunching challenge on Alexis Mac Allister was the main talking point to come out of the first half of Wednesday's Merseyside derby, with fans and pundits left perplexed as to how the Everton skipper escaped a red card.

Tarkowski won the ball initially but his studs landed high up the Liverpool midfielder's leg as he followed through, leaving Mac Allister writhing in pain on the ground.

The on-field referee immediately showed Tarkowski a yellow card and the challenge was then checked by Paul Tierney — the VAR for the game — but no further action was taken.

A Premier League explainer published on X said: "The referee’s call of yellow card for a reckless foul by Tarkowski was checked by the VAR, with contact on the follow through after Tarkowski had played the ball deemed to be reckless."

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I think he's very lucky there.

He's very lucky."

Former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher added: "The ref should give it on the pitch, for Paul Tierney to not give it on VAR is shocking."

Carragher was joined in the Sky Sports studio by Everton icon Duncan Ferguson, who was no stranger to strong challenges during his playing career, but even he was adamant that Tarkowski was lucky to stay on the pitch.

"There's no argument, straight red," Ferguson said?

Back in our day you might have got away with that because you've tackled, you've got the ball, but he knows what he's doing, he's come right through him.

Terrible decision."

Another former player, Stephen Warnock, was covering the game for the BBC and he said: "This challenge is nasty from James Tarkowski

Tarkowski knows exactly what he's doing in that situation
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