Amid contentious circumstances, Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister was shown a red card during his home debut for the Reds against Bournemouth.
The Argentine international, who recently joined Liverpool from Brighton in the summer, was dismissed with a straight red card for a hasty tackle on Ryan Christie in the 58th minute.
Mac Allister seemed to intend to challenge Christie while the latter was attempting to clear the ball, but inadvertently caught his shin during the process.
Though the tackle initially didn’t appear overly reckless, referee Thomas Bramall held a differing viewpoint and promptly issued the midfielder a red card. Subsequent VAR review failed to overturn the initial decision, ultimately shattering Mac Allister’s hopes of a memorable debut at Anfield.
Feel free to assess Mac Allister’s challenge below to form your own judgment.
You can’t even go in for a challenge anymore. This is never a red card for Mac Allister. The game is gone 🤦♂️pic.twitter.com/2EEoyEy0JD
— LLF (@laligafrauds) August 19, 2023
Lineker reacts to Mac Allister’s red card
While Mac Allister’s challenge was no doubt a foul, the majority of experts believed the decision was harsh and should’ve been overturned by VAR.
Indeed, Gary Lineker tweeted: “Mac Allister sees red but it’s a nonsense. Referee and VAR at Anfield having a poor day.”
Similarly, former Reds striker Michael Owen said: “No way on earth is that a red card for MacAllister. Yellow at most.”
Mac Allister sees red but it’s a nonsense. Referee and VAR at Anfield having a poor day.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) August 19, 2023
Liverpool claim victory over Cherries
Mac Allister understandably appeared devastated as he left the field, but his dismissal did little to stop Liverpool’s momentum.
While the Cherries had taken an early lead through Antoine Semenyo in just the third minute, Klopp’s side hit back through Luis Diaz before the half-hour mark.
The Reds then won a penalty, which Mohamed Salah missed – yet the Egyptian was on hand to tap in the rebound.
Mac Allister’s sending-off would’ve sparked hope among Bournemouth fans, but just four minutes later, Dioga Jota made it 3-1 as his shot rebounded off a defender.
Despite some late Bournemouth pressure, the score stayed 3-1 as Liverpool secured their first win of the new season.