Sunderland vs Liverpool ref watch: Three decisions Chris Kavanagh got wrong
Liverpool closed the gap on the top four with a crucial 1-0 win away at Sunderland on Wednesday night.
The Reds have been in inconsistent form of late, but they pushed ahead of their hosts in the second half and became the first team to beat Sunderland on home turf in 2025-26.
Virgil van Dijk headed home the only goal for Liverpool in the 61st minute, as he climbed highest to nod Mohamed Salah’s deep corner into the back of the net.
Arne Slot has been under growing pressure at Anfield of late, but his team held firm in the latter stages to secure an invaluable victory, which now leaves them just three points off the Champions League places.
It was an eventful evening at the Stadium of Light, and with that in mind, Football Insider picks out three decisions that referee Chris Kavanagh got wrong during the 90 minutes.
Reinildo hugely unfortunate with yellow card
Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett told Football Insider earlier this week that Reinildo should have been sent off for Sunderland in their defeat away at Arsenal last week, and he was at the centre of attention once again in midweek.
The left-back became the first name to go into Kavanagh’s book when he was cautioned for delaying the taking of a Liverpool free-kick inside the first half, but he can count himself unlucky that the incident even reached that stage.
Sunderland were penalised for a foul on Salah just inside the halfway line after the visitors had cleared a wide free-kick, and Kavanagh adjudged that the Egyptian was held by his marker, despite appearing to handle the ball when controlling it.
Reinildo was booked in the ensuing scramble for the ball, but the decision should have been awarded the other way in the first place.
Instead, the defender was left walking a tightrope for the remainder of the evening.
Sunderland should have been awarded a penalty in first-half stoppage time
Brian Brobbey has been hugely effective for Sunderland since his move from Ajax in the summer, and he was a thorn in the side of the Liverpool defence all night on Wednesday.
The striker enjoyed an ongoing physical battle with Ibrahima Konate, as the pair went toe-to-toe on a number of occasions.
Their most notable contest came right on the stroke of half-time, as the Dutchman tried to burst away from the visiting centre-half to meet a cross inside the box.
Brobbey appeared to have stolen a march on Konate, and he then fell to the floor amid a jostle for position.
Kavanagh thought nothing of the incident in real time, and VAR referee Darren England reached the same conclusion after a brief review, but a penalty should surely have been given, considering that Brobbey had got beyond his man.
Hugo Ekitike lucky to escape yellow card
Hugo Ekitike led the line effectively for Liverpool yet again, but he was lucky to escape punishment after a confrontation with Robin Roefs in the second half.
The Sunderland goalkeeper had collected the ball inside his penalty area, but then briefly grappled with Ekitike, who was seemingly unhappy with the amount of time that he was taking to release the ball.
The Frenchman appeared to grab at the back of Roefs’ neck, and the Sunderland stopper promptly dropped to the ground, but Kavanagh failed to dish out a punishment for the incident.
Roefs’ theatrics certainly made the moment seem worse than it perhaps was at first, but Ekitike could still count himself unlucky not to have gone into the referee’s book.