Liverpool face fine DESPITE apology over 'monumental' VAR error in Tottenham loss
Liverpool suffered their first defeat of the season on Saturday as Tottenham ran out winners in a controversy-laden encounter
Liverpool could be hit with a £25,000 fine following Saturday's controversial 2-1 defeat to Tottenham.
The Reds finished with nine men at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Joel Matip's 96th-minute own goal saw Spurs clinch all three points in dramatic fashion.
That was after Jurgen Klopp's side had seen Luis Diaz's first-half goal wrongly disallowed for offside by VAR – as admitted by refereeing body PGMOL, who apologised to Liverpool for the major error.
Unsurprisingly, Klopp had some strong words to say about the decision, which Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer labelled a "monumental" mistake – but Liverpool stand to be punished for another reason.
Teams who rack up six or more cards in a single game are commonly fined £25,000 by the FA; on Saturday, the Reds received four yellows and two sending-offs (Curtis Jones got a straight red after a VAR check for his first-half foul on Yves Bissouma, while substitute Diogo Jota was given his marching orders for two bookable offences in the second half.
Such punishment is not set in stone, though, and Liverpool could manage to escape any action.
Liverpool WILL win trophies this season
Nonetheless, the Reds have already received four red cards this season – at least twice as many as any other team in the Premier League.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
Prior to Jones and Jota's dismissals against Spurs, Virgil van Dijk and Alexis Mac Allister were sent off in victories over Newcastle and Bournemouth respectively – although Mac Allister's red was subsequently rescinded.
Klopp insists that his side are not a dirty outfit, though. He told reporters: "It’s important to me that people don’t start thinking we have so many red cards [that] we are a kicking team. We don’t [go kicking players]."
More Liverpool stories
Why was Luis Diaz's goal for Liverpool against Spurs disallowed? FFT has taken a look...
In other news, the Reds have been linked with a Borussia Dortmund star to back up Mo Salah.
And the midfield rebuild at Anfield might not be over yet, despite four new arrivals in that department this summer.
Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...