Independent panel says Diogo Jota shouldn't have been sent off against Tottenham | OneFootball

Highlights

Diogo Jota should not have been sent off during Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, according to the Premier League’s Independent Key Match Incidents Panel. The conclusion adds yet more controversy to the fallout from Saturday's match.

Much of the focus from last weekend’s game has been on the VAR error which wrongly disallowed Luis Diaz’s goal for offside. The failure to overturn the on-field decision led to the PGMOL releasing a statement where they admitted that there had been “a significant human error.” The VAR audio has since been released to show how the wrong conclusion was reached, while Jurgen Klopp has also called for a replay to take place.

Yet there was more controversy during the match which has been overshadowed by the Diaz incident, with two Liverpool players controversially sent off. Curtis Jones was dismissed in the first half for a challenge on Yves Bissouma, while Jota also saw red after picking up two bookings.

Klopp believes Jota was harshly sent off

Jota’s first yellow card came after he was judged to have fouled Destiny Udogie, but replays seemingly indicated that the Spurs man’s trailing leg had clipped the Liverpool winger accidentally. His second came from another challenge on Udogie a short while later, but contact again seemed to be minimal.

Speaking on Wednesday ahead of his side’s Europa League match, Klopp voiced his opposition to Simon Hooper's decision to give his player two yellows. He believed that there was no contact on either occasion.

Panel rules Jota shouldn’t have been sent off

And now, the division’s Independent Key Match Incidents Panel has seemingly sided with Klopp. According to a report from ESPN, it supported VAR's intervention for Jones’ tackle but ruled that Jota did not deserve to be sent off. However, it did not reach that conclusion for the reason that you might think.

The panel is made up of five members, including three former players and/or coaches as well as a representative from the Premier League and PGMOL. Their report for last week’s games revealed that the second tackle by Jota on Udogie did not meet the threshold for a yellow card, with the members voting 3-2 against the booking.

After the game, there was a greater focus on the harshness of Jota’s first yellow card rather than his second. But that was not cited by the panel as, according to ESPN, they do not make judgments on the first yellow card if a player is sent off for two bookable offences. However, Klopp is unable to appeal against Jota’s one-game suspension despite the error. He has confirmed, though, that Liverpool lost an appeal to have the FA overturn Jones’ three-game suspension.

Last weekend was the worst for referees this season

Additionally, the panel concluded that last week’s matches were the worst for referees this season, determining that there had been four missed VAR interventions. That, in total, was more than the rest of the season combined.

The panel judged that both Aston Villa’s second and third goals should have been disallowed against Brighton. Nicolo Zaniolo was in an offside position and judged to be in the goalkeeper’s line of sight for Ollie Watkins’ goal, while they also believed Douglas Luiz had fouled Solly March in the buildup for Pervis Estupinan’s own goal.

On top of that, they felt that Ezra Konsa should have been shown a second yellow card after a confrontation with Ansu Fati, and decided that Brentford should have been awarded a penalty after Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Matt Turner kicked through Yoane Wissa during their 1-1 draw. The PGMOL and Premier League fans will be hoping for less controversy in the last set of fixtures before the international break.