Liverpool told why they got lucky with Wolves decision despite Jamie Carragher claim | OneFootball

Reds struggled during second half but could have gone down to 10 men

Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate should have been sent off against Wolves, according to Vitor Pereira.

The French international started at centre-back as usual alongside captain Virgil van Dijk for Sunday’s Premier League fixture at Anfield, but struggled in the first half as he gave away numerous fouls and was booked for pulling back Matheus Cunha.

“If I say... now I cannot change nothing. What I say will not change nothing. In my opinion, it was a second yellow card. But I’m not a referee.”

Pereira’s point of view was not shared by Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, who stated during commentary on Sky Sports that Konate did not deserve to be sent off for his clumsy challenge on Cunha, who would later go on to score a brilliant goal with just over 20 minutes to play that set up an exciting finish on Merseyside.

“It is a stupid challenge by Konate but it's not a yellow card, just two players going for a header and one gets there before the other,” Carragher said.

Konate was withdrawn at half-time against Wolves, with his replacement Jarell Quansah going on to make a crucial last-ditch block late on that denied Marshall Munetsi an equaliser after the latter had also been foiled by Alisson after the break.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot admitted in his own post-match press conference that he made that substitution for fear of Konate potentially getting sent off, though labelled the yellow card he did receive as “soft” - also using the same word to describe a second caution had it been given for the second challenge on Cunha.

“Yes, I took him off because of that,” said Slot. “Because I saw him getting his first yellow, that was for me a soft yellow.

“If he would have got the second one for a shoulder push, that would again be a soft yellow, so then he would have been sent off by two soft yellows. I think the referee felt the same – that's why he didn't.

“But I've watched football so many times in my life and I know that a player and a referee is then under pressure, so every next foul will lead again to maybe a referee that thinks, 'Maybe now I should give him [a yellow].' I think back on three days ago.

“But for Ibou, it's so difficult to play 45 minutes of football against such a strong Wolves team. So, I had to take him off because you can't play football knowing in your head you can't make a foul and playing against such good players Wolves have.”