Jamie Redknapp believes Harry Kane deserved a red card for his tackle on Andrew Robertson during Tottenham’s draw with Liverpool.
Liverpool suffered a blow in the Premier League title race, as they played out a 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. The result helped Manchester City extend their lead at the top to three points heading into Christmas. And unsurprisingly, the high-stake encounter in North London was chock-full of controversy.
Within an hour after the final result, there has been much discussion involving a particular incident that saw Harry Kane make a woeful tackle on Andrew Robertson, flooring the Liverpool left-back.
The Tottenham forward was penalised with a yellow card for his horror tackle, but the referee did not consult the VAR for a potential red card situation. The controversy was further fueled by a subsequent incident late in the game that saw Robertson himself earn a yellow for his challenge on Emerson, which was eventually upgraded to a red after VAR consultation.
Former England international Jamie Redknapp is among the pundits who believe Liverpool were hard done by the decision. Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, as relayed by Liverpool Echo, the midfielder stated: “It’s a red card. I think he’s reckless and out of control. I think he just scored and the crowd were up. When you go in for a challenge, I think I’ve seen players sent off for a lot less than that.”
Yes, that should be a red card for Harry Kane pic.twitter.com/orHOKQsamE
— Has the Referee or VAR made a poor decision? (@PoorEPLreferees) December 19, 2021
Redknapp added by suggesting that Harry Kane’s status as English national team captain may have helped him get the sway over the referee. “Sometimes the reputation of being England captain does help you because that is a really late challenge. He’s lucky Andy Robertson’s foot isn’t planted on the floor, he just gets it out of the way. He’s lucky,” said the 48-year-old.
Fellow pundit Gary Neville predicted a potential meltdown from Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp regarding the incident. “I’m sure Jurgen Klopp will refer back to that at the end of the game about the consistency, or rather the lack of it,” he said.
Either way, the result will be a disappointing one for the German tactician, whose team now trails the reigning champions and league leaders by three points. The Reds will hope that they can turn the tide in their favour once again on Boxing Day when they lock horns with Leeds United.
