Liverpool manager Arne Slot has called for referee Stuart Atwell to explain why Tottenham’s match-winner, Lucas Bergvall, was not shown a second yellow card before scoring the decisive goal late in the game.
Bergvall, who had already been booked, was fortunate to avoid a second booking after a foul on Kostas Tsimikas just moments before he netted the 86th-minute winner.
Atwell had used the stadium microphone earlier to explain a VAR decision regarding Tottenham’s Dominic Solanke being offside during the Carabao Cup trial.
Slot suggested it would have been beneficial for the referee to offer an explanation for the non-penalty on Bergvall. “It would be more interesting for everyone if he explained why there wasn’t a second yellow,” Slot said. “Once the decision was made, no one expected it to have such a big impact just 30 seconds later.”
Slot added that although he hadn’t spoken to Atwell, he believed that when Bergvall scored, the referee must have been thinking, “this can’t be happening,” as the decision was far from ideal for him.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk also criticized the referee, stating, “The referee made a mistake in my opinion, and I told him that. He thinks he didn’t, but it was quite obvious to everyone on the sidelines that it should have been a yellow card.”
Despite the loss, Slot remains confident Liverpool can overturn the result in the second leg. “Two games are never the same,” he said. “I never thought it would be another 6-3. But if you’re going to lose, the best way is to lose 1-0, with the chance to turn it around in the next game.”
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou responded to ongoing mockery of his promise to win a trophy in his second season, stating, “People can keep mocking me about it, but we will see.”
He also clarified his earlier comments regarding officials, explaining, “They were taken the wrong way; they weren’t about the referees. I understand Arne’s disappointment, but apparently, they are applying the rules.”
Postecoglou also commented on the worrying injury of midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, who was stretchered off after collapsing in the first half. “We cannot speculate what happened, but it was worrying,” he said. “Hopefully, from what I know, he will be OK.”
