After Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Fulham in the Premier League, former referee Mike Dean publicly apologized to Liverpool fans over a controversial decision during the match. The incident involved a dangerous foul by Fulham’s Andreas Pereira on Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch, which many believed warranted a red card.
The game was plagued by a series of contentious calls, including a red card for Liverpool’s Andrew Robertson in the 17th minute, leaving the team with 10 players for the rest of the match. However, the key moment came when Pereira fouled Gravenberch, striking his Achilles from behind in a reckless challenge.
On Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday, Mike Dean was outspoken in criticizing referee Tony Harrington’s decision: “Pereira made contact with Gravenberch’s Achilles with a clear follow-through and missed the ball entirely. He knew exactly what he was doing. This should have been a red card.”
The situation was made worse when Pereira, moments after the foul, scored Fulham’s opening goal, further frustrating Liverpool fans. To add to the trouble, Robertson was sent off, leaving Liverpool without a natural left-back due to Kostas Tsimikas’ injury.
While Gravenberch avoided serious injury, many fans and analysts were outraged that Pereira stayed on the pitch and even contributed to a goal. Despite being reduced to 10 men, Liverpool couldn’t recover, finishing with a draw that kept them top of the Premier League with 36 points from 15 matches. Fulham, managed by Marco Silva, proved to be tough opponents, having also previously held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw.
The incident again cast a spotlight on Premier League officiating, with the failure to red-card Pereira becoming a major talking point. The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) now faces pressure to review the incident and decide whether to issue any retrospective punishment for the missed red card.
