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Everton's James Tarkowski was not sent off for his bad challenge on Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister during Wednesday night's Merseyside derby (Image: PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

The failure to recognise James Tarkowski's 10th-minute challenge on Alexis Mac Allister in Wednesday's Merseyside derby was put down to 'sheer incompetence' by the extremely critical former head of the PGMOL, Keith Hackett.

Liverpool and Everton have since learned from the refereeing body that the wrong decision was made.

Liverpool, who went on to win the Anfield derby via a 57th-minute Diogo Jota strike, had initially been left furious in the opening stages when Tarkowski flew into a challenge to clear the ball.



On X, he was asked by a Liverpool supporter to explain 'from his perspective how both the referee and VAR failed to send off Tarkowski?'

"Sheer incompetence of the highest order," was Hackett's brief but brutal response in regard to the officials managing this particular incident.

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For his part in the matter, Everton defender Tarkowski later revealed he had apologised to Mac Allister for the challenge.

However, he would have left Anfield to read the numerous opinions circling that he should have been dismissed.

Gary Neville, providing commentary for Sky Sports, said Tarkowski was 'lucky' not to have been sent off.

Former Everton striker Duncan Ferguson and Jamie Carragher were on punditry duties and were also in agreement that the challenge was deserving of a red card following a VAR check.

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Dietmar Hamann, another member of Liverpool's 2005 Champions League-winning squad, went as far as to call the Blues man a 'coward', while Richard Keys slammed the 'naughty' challenge and questioned Barrott being given the match to officiate given that he only has 19 Premier League matches worth of experience under his belt.

Lastly, another former referee, Dermot Gallagher, requested PGMOL begin an urgent review into how a red card was not awarded.

But ultimately, Barrott and his team of officials, were also in receipt of praise for how they implemented the laws of the game in the build-up to Liverpool's winner.

Luis Diaz would have been in an offside position had Tarkowski not intervened to play the ball.
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