Former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee Keith Hackett believes Darren England made a serious mistake in the League Cup match between Liverpool and Chelsea. He thinks Emanuel Emeka should have received a yellow card for a harsh incident involving Virgil van Dijk.
Chelsea were eliminated from the tournament after a penalty shootout.
The match at Anfield ended 1-1, with goals from Morgan Rogers and Cody Gakpo.
Throughout the match, Darren England issued yellow cards to Lewis Kumasi, James McConnell, Josh Achimpong, and Romeo Lavia.
However, one of the most controversial episodes went unpunished.
In the 71st minute, Emeka, who had come on as a substitute, collided with Van Dijk at speed, making absolutely no attempt to play the ball.
The Liverpool captain went to the ground and was unhappy with the referee's decision to allow play to continue without a card.
Hackett believes Emeka was fortunate to avoid punishment.
He said:
Virgil van Dijk had every right to be angry, both with the opponent and the referee.
The referee did not react at all to the very aggressive run and the push, which met the criteria for reckless behaviour.
According to the former PGMOL chief, the incident warranted a caution.
Van Dijk ended up on the floor, so the Chelsea player was very lucky not to receive a yellow card.
The referee overall had a decent match, but he could have done much better here.
Hackett also believes the referee's inaction could have led to a more serious conflict between players.
This incident easily could have triggered a mass confrontation.
I am surprised and disappointed that the Chelsea player did not receive a yellow card.
Emeka spent around 25 minutes on the pitch after coming on as a substitute.
He later took part in the penalty shootout, but his shot was saved by Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Ultimately, Liverpool progressed to the quarter-finals of the League Cup, where they will face Bournemouth.
