Liverpool’s next opponents boosted by successful appeal of red card for star | OneFootball

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Anfield Watch

·5 May 2021

Liverpool’s next opponents boosted by successful appeal of red card for star

Article image:Liverpool’s next opponents boosted by successful appeal of red card for star

Southampton have been handed a huge boost ahead of their clash with Liverpool this weekend as they have successfully appealed Jannik Vestergaard’s red card against Leicester.

Vestergaard was shown a straight red card in Southampton’s last Premier League outing and was set to watch on from the sidelines as Liverpool and the Saints face each other this weekend.


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The FA’s Independent Regulatory Commission reviewed the incident and decided that it was a wrongful dismissal, allowing Vestergaard to be available for selection against Liverpool.

Article image:Liverpool’s next opponents boosted by successful appeal of red card for star

ANFIELD WATCH VERDICT

This is a boost for the Saints as Vestergaard has been in sublime form at the back for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side this season in the Premier League. Vestergaard has averaged an impressive WhoScored rating of 6.98, which is slightly skewed by his wrongful dismissal against Leicester forcing him to record a rating of 5.49 for that match. This shows that Southampton will have one of their best players back for the clash with Liverpool, with James Ward-Prowse the only Saints player with a higher average rating.

Liverpool also have no reason to feel hard done by with this decision. Vestergaard was sent off for ‘denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity’ despite making contact with Jamie Vardy as Alex McCarthy, Southampton’s goalkeeper, had possession of the ball. The Danish defender was also the player who made contact with the ball, as Vardy failed to get a touch on Vestergaard’s loose touch before being taken down by the defender. This means that Vestergaard did not deny Vardy a clear goalscoring opportunity as he never had possession of the ball or any chance to reach it when Vestergaard caught his ankle.

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