Gary Neville claims Trent Alexander-Arnold was ‘lucky’ not to receive a second yellow card after clashing twice with Anthony Gordon during Liverpool’s game against Newcastle to cap off nightmare start at St James’ Park
- Gary Neville says Trent Alexander-Arnold was ‘lucky’ not to get a red on Sunday
- Alexander-Arnold clashed with Anthony Gordon early on against Newcastle
- He was then at fault for Newcastle’s opener which was scored by Gordon
Gary Neville has claimed Trent Alexander-Arnold was lucky not to be shown a second yellow card during the opening stages of Liverpool’s game against Newcastle.
The England right-back received a yellow in the sixth minute of the match after he was shoved in the back by Anthony Gordon.
Displeased at the challenge, Alexander-Arnold threw the ball away receiving an immediate booking from referee John Brooks.
Play continued, with the 24-year-old running up the other end of the field to recover the ball from the Magpies, and again clashed with the former Everton man, putting his arm across Gordon and thumping him to the ground with his body.
Alexander-Arnold was walking on a fine line and could have received another yellow and a subsequent red for the challenge, with Gary Neville on commentary for Sky Sports claiming that he was fortunate not to be sent off.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (left) could have been sent off early on during Liverpool’s match against Newcastle on Sunday afternoon
The Liverpool full-back clashed with Anthony Gordon (right) early on in their game, conceding a yellow card after he was shoved off the pitch by the former Everton man
Alexander-Arnold (left) narrowly escaped a second yellow soon after as he clashed with Gordon again, shoving him off the pitch this time
‘Trent steps out to the left and puts his arm out across Gordon,’ Neville said.
‘He’s lucky.
‘Would Klopp think about substituting him? It’s cauldron out there.
‘He has sent out Gomez to warm up. I’m not surprised at all. It must be a serious consideration.’
‘Well this is it, he gets past Trent Alexander Arnold. Maybe he’s got it right the referee. I certainly think it should have been a yellow card if he wasn’t booked just before it, Neville added.
‘He’s smiling Jurgen Klopp but I don’t think he will be inside. Eddie Howe certainly not.’
At half-time, Jamie Carragher also had his say on the incident claiming that while Alexander-Arnold deserved a yellow card, he criticised the referee for not booking Gordon for the initial challenge, pushing the Liverpool full-back off the pitch.
‘Listen. Listen,’ Carragher said. ‘He [Alexander-Arnold] deserves a yellow card. We know the rules and he throws the ball away, but it’s a really poor decision.
‘The referee makes a rod for his off his own back, how he doesn’t give a foul there [for the Gordon shove] is absolutely unbelievable.
‘It’s just frustration. He throws away the ball and we know the rules now and that’s why he gives him a yellow card and that’s why I think he doesn’t give him a yellow card here [second foul].’
Andros Townsend, also in the Sky Sports studio, added: ‘I think if this is in the second half it’s a second yellow. Not because of the foul but because of the arm across the face and the shoulder, the malice in Trent’s face you can see he’s looked to bring him down.’
Even Alan Shearer had his say on the officiating, calling for greater consistency from the referees.
He wrote on Twitter: ‘Consistency. If the first isn’t given then that’s a yellow.’
It wasn’t long after Liverpool found themselves a goal down, with Alexander-Arnold making a mistake that allowed Gordon score Newcastle’s opener opener.
The right-back failed to control Mohamed Salah’s pass back with Gordon coming from behind him to pounce on his poor touch, before taking possession and going on to put the home side 1-0 up.
‘I don’t know what to say,’ Neville said speaking on Alexander-Arnold’s mistake.
‘Someone who can control the ball with either foot lets it go under his left boot fatally. Gordon is on top of him. Capitalises on that error. I mean he could have been sent off any way if he had have come back.
Alan Shearer has also voiced his opinion on the officiating calling for greater consistency from the officials
It was a nightmare start for the Liverpool defender though, who was at fault for their opening goal
Newcastle went 1-0 up after 25 minutes through Gordon (middle) who capitalised on a lapse in concentration from Alexander-Arnold to go one-vs-one with Alisson, and score his side’s first
‘But you just ask the question. Allison one of the best one-v-one, Gordon just puts it through his legs. Eddie Howe is ecstatic. As is that man [Gordon] who used to play on the blue half of Merseyside.’
Shay Given added during the half-time analysis that he thought Alexander-Arnold’s head was ‘scrambled’ from the opening exchanges.
‘I think his head’s a bit scrambled from the first half, Alexander-Arnold he just loses his concentration for a split second on his weaker left foot,’ Given said.
‘And taking nothing away form Anthony Gordon who goes through one-vs-one with Alisson one of the best keepers in the world.
‘But it’s a mistake, there’s not getting away from it, it’s a poor touch from Trent and he’s clean through. On the back of a brilliant under 21 tournament for England, Anthony sticks that away beautifully.;
It then went from bad to worse for the Reds, with Virgil van Dijk being sent off for a tackle on Alexander Isak, with the Dutch centre-back bringing the Newcastle forward down as he broke free on the Liverpool goal.
The challenge was sent for a VAR review but the officials ultimately agreed that the challenge was a foul with John Brooks sending the 32-year-old down the tunnel.
Klopp subsequently had to make a tactical change, bringing on Joe Gomez for Luis Diaz in the 33rd minute.
More to follow…
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