Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett has criticised the decision not to show Liverpool forward Diogo Jota a red card against West Ham, with Football Insider even suggesting a ban could be in order.
The Lowdown: Jota returns
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has only recently been able to recall Jota to the squad having been previously ruled out with an ankle injury.
The Portuguese forward was used from the substitutes' bench as the Reds overcame the Hammers 1-0 at Anfield at the weekend, following his start back from injury in the FA Cup win against Norwich.
However, the 25-year-old was cautioned in the second half for a foul on Pablo Fornals, one which left David Moyes questioning the severity of the challenge after the match.
Jota was handed a start in the Champions League on Tuesday - although his performance was questionable to say the least - but Hackett believe he should miss the Reds' next three fixtures.
The Latest: Hackett gives red
Speaking to Football Insider, whose headline called for an 'extended ban', ex-Fifa official Hackett claimed that VAR should've instructed the on-field referee to dismiss Jota and subsequently rule the ace out of this weekend's trip to Brighton.
“It doesn’t look great.
“These are the sorts of challenges when they are highlighted and you look at the video you see something but when you are in the middle of the park, it’s difficult to see it.
“He’s a lucky guy that he got a yellow. There is an element of doubt in there.
“The referee obviously sees it as reckless but the photograph shows it’s worse than reckless, it’s a red card offence.
“VAR could have come to the assistance of John Moss on that one.”
If the FA were to issue a retrospective ban, it would rule the Portugal international out for Brighton, Arsenal and the FA Cup quarter-final.
The Verdict: Harsh...
Given the incidents like this which have gone before - Liverpool supporters, in particular, will point to the lack of action taken against Jordan Pickford when Virgil van Dijk was sidelined for nine months - there won't be much sympathy for this view amongst Reds fans.
Whilst the tackle from Jota does look horrible on the still image, there is no precedent for retrospective punishment for such a challenge and to dismiss him would've felt harsh, especially considering Craig Dawson produced a similar challenge on Sadio Mane while already on a yellow card.
Jota has been nothing short of a revelation since arriving on Merseyside - scoring 30 times and providing four assists in 65 outings for the Anfield club - but will perhaps be best served by leaving this type of foul play outside of what is otherwise a supremely well-stocked repertoire.
In other news, Pete O’Rourke has claimed one Liverpool player could leave the club this summer. Read more here.