Dermot Gallagher delivers 'unlucky' red card verdict after Liverpool win over Tottenham
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Liverpool IconLiverpool FC NewsFeaturesLiverpool FCTottenham had both Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero sent off during Liverpool's 2-1 win on Saturday, with former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher giving his view on one of the incidentsFormer Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher(Image: Sky Sports)Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has suggested Xavi Simons was “unlucky” to be sent off against Liverpool - although he also insisted there was no other choice after the Tottenham star’s challenge on Virgil van Dijk.Spurs had both Simons and Cristian Romero dismissed on Saturday as the Reds recorded a 2-1 win in north London to move level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea in the Premier League.Simons was shown a red card after a VAR review, having raked his studs down the back of Van Dijk’s calf, while Romero was given his marching orders late on after picking up a second yellow for kicking out at Ibrahima Konate.READ MORE: Mohamed Salah told apology not enough as Liverpool star urged to take actionREAD MORE: Liverpool handed new red card verdict as referee told he missed third sending-off vs TottenhamThere have been differing opinions on Simons’ dismissal from some pundits though. Gary Neville slammed the Spurs forward for what he branded a “ridiculous challenge”, while Gary Lineker has insisted a yellow card would have been enough.Gallagher has now given his opinion, insisting that once the challenge was referred to VAR, there was no other choice but to send Simons off - even if he did have some sympathy for the Tottenham star.“I want to make clear that I don’t think Simons has any intention to do this, but he has done it,” Gallagher told Sky Sports’ Ref Watch.Xavi Simons of Tottenham Hotspur is shown a red card by referee John Brooks(Image: Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)“Once you see the replay, you can’t unsee it.
When VAR sees that, in modern football, it is always going to be a red card.“He’s unlucky, but he is always going to see red. You can’t make challenges like that anymore.”Former Cardiff and QPR striker Jay Bothroyd, who appeared alongside Gallagher, agreed, saying: “By the letter of the law it is a red because he has caught him high on his calf, but there’s no doubt he didn’t mean it.
The players didn’t swarm around him; there were no big reactions or arguments.”Get LFC's 2025/26 season home and away kitsThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. I'm really sorry."Meanwhile, Van Dijk said: "I don't think there was any intention to hurt me but obviously he hurt me and then the referee and the VAR made the decision to send him off."I spoke to him.