CONTROVERSY  RED PENALTY: Liverpool handed Jarell Quansah red card referee verdict as Southampton chaos takes new twist

The reaction to Liverpool’s 2-1 Carabao Cup win over Southampton continues with referee Simon Hooper told he got one major decision wrong

Liverpool would have had an even more nervy final few minutes of their Carabao Cup tie against Southampton had Jarell Quansah been sent off. Former referee Christina Unkel has suggested that should have been the case and that a lack of VAR helped the defender.

A defensive injury and suspension crisis had partly forced Arne Slot’s hand with his team selection as he named a defence of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Wataru Endo, Quansah and Joe Gomez. Many of Liverpool’s big hitters – including Mohamed Salah – were left at home, whilst plenty of rotation took place throughout.

By the end of the 90 minutes the back four had changed to remove Alexander-Arnold and Gomez, with midfielder Tyler Morton dropping into right full-back and Kostas Tsimikas returned from injury on the opposite flank as a second

Liverpool cruised into a 2-0 first-half lead, but with Southampton having halved the deficit just before the hour mark, things were nervy enough before Matheus Fernandes attempted to latch onto a deceiving Alex McCarthy clearance, leading to a tussle with last-man Quansah bearing down on Caoimhin Kelleher’s goal

Referee Simon Hooper chose to rule in the Liverpool defender’s favour as he watched the incident chasing from behind, and with no VAR employed in the Carabao Cup before the final that was what stuck.

“Did he or did he not foul him? In this opinion yes, I am actually surprised the referee in this moment did not call the foul,” Unkel responded for CBS, therefore disagreeing with Hooper.

Giving her analysis, the former FIFA-licensed official explained: “It would have been a foul outside the penalty box but it would have been denying of a goalscoring opportunity (DOGSO).

“The question I was debating first was did he (Fernandes) slow down trying to draw that foul? The more I’m looking at the ball is up in the air, it’s hovering, he naturally would be slowing and he’s entitled to that space.

“Too much upper body contact so there is a foul there. If VAR was involved they would have done the same thing I would have done – probably over-analysed the play and brought it back to being simple, and then made the recommendation for a DOGSO red.”

Of course it would have been another challenge for the Reds to tackle on the night, but in the bigger picture would have extended Slot’s problems into their Sunday Premier League visit to Tottenham Hotspur.

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Andy Robertson was suspended last night after his red card against Fulham last weekend, and with injuries to Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley the defence was further depleted. At least for the coming weekend Virgil van Dijk should return after a rest, plus Tsimikas is back fit and playing.

The 2-1 win means progression, and Liverpool will discover their Carabao Cup semi-final opponents in Thursday night’s draw, having escaped a red card verdict.