Liverpool vs Sunderland ref watch: Three decisions Stuart Attwell got wrong as ban avoided
Liverpool and Sunderland played out an eventful 1-1 draw at Anfield on Wednesday night through two deflected strikes in the second-half.
The two sides went in level at the break after a tepid first period, and it took until the 68th minute for the opener to be scored as Chemsdine Talbi’s deflected effort flew past Alisson.
Florian Wirtz has struggled since joining Liverpool for a huge fee in the summer, but it was his shot that looped over Robin Roefs nine minutes from time after hitting Nordi Mukiele.
Both teams had chances to win it late on, with the visitors coming closest as Federico Chiesa denied Wilson Isidor with a goal-line block after a quick counter attack.
There were a few questionable decisions made by match referee Stuart Attwell on the night, and Football Insider have picked out three calls that he got wrong.
Virgil van Dijk deserved a booking for foul on Brian Brobbey
Liverpool were slow all over the pitch in the first-half, and Virgil van Dijk was lucky not to be booked just 15 minutes into the encounter for a clear foul on Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey.
The Reds’ captain failed to win the ball as he charged through the back of the Dutchman with the visitors looking to attack.
Attwell chose not to even give Sunderland a free-kick, let alone book Van Dijk, with former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett exclusively telling Football Insider that the “reckless” challenge was clearly worthy of a yellow.
Noah Sadiki avoided ban for bad foul on Ryan Gravenberch
While Liverpool may have been lucky not to see Van Dijk in the book, Sunderland’s Noah Sadiki will also have been relieved not to receive a yellow card of his own for a poor tackle on Ryan Gravenberch in the first-half.
Sadiki, who joined Sunderland from Union Saint-Gilloise in the summer crunched his opposite number in the 24th minute as he turned on the halfway line looking to progress the ball forward.
It was a clear foul and given by Attwell, but also worthy of a booking due to it’s ferocious nature. The referee did not show the DR Congo his fifth booking of the season, however, meaning he avoided a ban and is still available to face Man City this weekend.
Ibrahima Konate should have seen yellow for foul on Brobbey
Ibrahima Konate has been under-fire among Liverpool fans for his poor performances this season, and that continued here as he looked shaky up against the burly Brobbey all evening.
The Dutch striker put himself about with real intent throughout and, as well as the earlier Van Dijk foul, should have earned Konate a booking in the second-half for an obvious trip.
He stuck a leg out to bring Brobbey down just before the hour mark as Sunderland counter-attacked, but because the visitors kept going forward as Attwell waved play-on, the official then failed to remember the offence when the ball next went out of play.