Liverpool got their February off to a winning note on Saturday as they overcame a stern test from in-form Bournemouth to win 2-0, inflicting the Cherries’ first defeat in any competition since November.
Mo Salah netted both goals at the Vitality Stadium, the first of which came from a penalty that triggered some debate at first but was ultimately vindicated by Lewis Cook – the player deemed to have fouled Cody Gakpo – acknowledging that it was the correct decision.
It wasn’t the only refereeing talking point from the match, with Alexis Mac Allister promptly substituted by Arne Slot after he caught David Brooks with a high boot when already on a yellow card.
Hackett: Liverpool lucky not to have been reduced to 10 men
Speaking to Football Insider, former top-flight official Keith Hackett felt that Liverpool should’ve been reduced to 10 players after what the Argentina midfielder did, and he also praised the Reds’ head coach for calling the 26-year-old ashore on the hour mark when treading thin ice.
The ex-PGMOL chief said: “There’s no question that this should have been a second yellow card, no question about that, but the one thing I would add is this – I think the actions of the manager need to be praised. I think he recognised that this particular player at times does lose a bit of his self-control.
“What you have to say is, when you’re on a yellow card, you’re on a tightrope. I think he’s fortunate that the referee’s not seen in the way that we’ve seen it, and of course VAR cannot come in on a yellow card offence.
“The Liverpool player’s got away with one. Well done the manager for substituting him because he was a car crash ready to happen. I think you want players that are aggressive but you also want players that do engage their brain on occasions and calm down. I think he’ll get some good operational advice from his manager.”
Mac Allister substitution a wise call from Slot
There was an ironic sense of the wheel coming full circle at the weekend, with Mac Allister perhaps fortunate not to be sent off against Bournemouth on Saturday, 18 months after he was shown an incredibly harsh red card against the Cherries (later overturned) on his Anfield debut for Liverpool.
There was no getting away from the timing of the Argentine’s withdrawal for Curtis Jones, which was made within a couple of minutes of the 26-year-old catching Brooks. Slot knew that the Reds’ number 10 was a potential dismissal waiting to happen and took timely and affirmative action.
The ex-Brighton midfielder’s qualities as a footballer are never in doubt, although his disciplinary record may be a slight cause for concern, even allowing for the increased probability of making yellow-card fouls given his position on the pitch.
He’s already been booked 10 times this season (matching his tally from 2023/24) and missed consecutive games in the Premier League and Champions League in December due to suspension. If he’s booked in either of the next two rounds in Europe, it’d trigger another one-match ban in that competition.
Also, as per FBref, Mac Allister has committed nine more fouls than any other Liverpool player. Again, that comes with the caveat of his positional responsibilities and his regularity of game-time, but it’s a notable statistic nonetheless.
We don’t want the Argentine to lose too much of his competitive edge, but we imagine that Slot might have a quiet word with him to ensure that he doesn’t get himself needlessly suspended for crucial matches further along in the campaign.
