Premier League release official announcement on Liverpool vs Brighton controversy
Diego Gomez will have been extremely relieved not to be sent off during the clash between Liverpool and Brighton on Saturday.
Florian Wirtz has improved massively for Liverpool after a slow start to life in England, and it was the German who was on the end of a painful challenge from the Seagulls’ No.25 on 13 December.
Talk completely surrounded the saga between Mohamed Salah and Arne Slot heading into the clash at Anfield, but that was quickly forgotten when Hugo Ekitike scored the opener inside the first minute.
Matters could have gotten worse for the visitors had Fabian Hurzeler‘s side gone down to 10 men in the first 45 minutes, but Craig Pawson kept to his decision of a yellow card in the third minute of added time.
Gomez ranked his studs down Wirtz’s stomach, with the Reds crying out for a red card, but he remained on the pitch until the half-time break.
Premier League release statement after Diego Gomez avoids a red card
There appeared to be a VAR check, but with Pawson not even sent to the screen, the Premier League has now explained the reasoning behind Gomez not being handed his marching orders at Anfield.
Taking to X (13 December), the Premier League Match Centre account announced: “The referee’s call of yellow card to Gomez was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the challenge on Wirtz deemed not to be with excessive force and not serious foul play.”
Understandably, home supporters were up in arms with the decision, with many being left baffled by how the Seagulls were allowed to remain with 11 players on the pitch at Anfield.
Rewatching replays of the incident at the Sky Sports studio, former referee Mike Dean shared his thoughts. Howard Webb might have some explaining to do after this one.
Mike Dean disagrees with Premier League
Speaking live on Sky Sports (13 December, 3:48pm), Dean said: “I think that’s a red. The only thing I would say is that as he’s come down, he might have caught him on the way down, and there’s no real force.
“His foot shouldn’t be that high; he’s caught him in the stomach, and he’s come down into his body. It’s more red than yellow,” he added
Pawson has been criticised heavily during the 2025-26 campaign, and this will not be one that the experienced referee wants to look back at. It should have been a red card.
Gomez then missed a gilt-edge chance in the second half to equalise for the Seagulls, and had that gone in, the home supporters would have been even more furious with the decision.
It could certainly be one of those incidents that make an appearance on the referee show with the head of the PGMOL, with many wanting answers after full-time.