Ex-PGMOL chief: John Brooks saved by VAR as Xavi Simons controversy re-analysed vs Liverpool

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Credit: Imago / Sky Sports Sat 20 December 2025 19:32, UK Howard Webb has serious questions to answer over the quality of his officials after a hugely controversial moment between Tottenham and Liverpool.That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that Xavi Simons is not the only player who should have been sent off on Saturday, 20 December.Alejandro Garnacho avoided a red card against Newcastle United, while Dan Ballard also launched into a high challenge during Sunderland‘s goalless draw against Brighton.Hackett has been hugely critical of Webb’s officials during the 2025-26 campaign, and the weekend’s action left more questions unanswered than before by the Premier League referees.John Brooks should have immediately sent off Xavi SimonsIn the 33rd minute, Simons was finally shown red, with Brooks being ushered over to the pitch-side monitor before changing his decision, giving Hackett some relief at last.Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former referee said: “This weekend, we have witnessed two challenges that, in my opinion, should have resulted in two players taking a long walk after being shown the red card instead of the yellows. MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES “Sadly, the majority of referees in the PGMOL take a rather lenient view.

In Spurs versus Liverpool, John Brooks rightly applied the law accurately. After a similar challenge to the previously mentioned, he rightly issued a red card to Simons.Credit: IMAGOWhen asked if the referee should have spotted the red-card challenge straight away, he added: “Yes, but thankfully, VAR official Stuart Attwell intervened.”What did Jamie Redknapp think about the Tottenham red card?Speaking during the half-time break, while Jamie Redknapp was gutted for the Dutchman, there was no doubt around the decision, with Simons lunging into a “stupid” challenge on Virgil van Dijk [Sky Sports].It was certainly a decision that ruined what could have been a great Premier League game, but after catching the Liverpool captain, there was very little that the referee could have done.The 22-year-old has endured a difficult start to life in England, notching just two goals and three assists in his first 21 appearances, and this will do nothing to help his confidence in North London.Before the red card, there was a belief that Thomas Frank‘s side might have gotten something out of the game, but after goals from Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, that hope was killed off.