The video assistant referee in the Merseyside derby, David Coote, didn’t know he could send Jordan Pickford off for his poor challenge on Virgil van Dijk, according to a report.
Van Dijk was forced off from the field after the duo collided during a Liverpool attack, with Everton keeper Pickford trying to block the defender’s passage to goal.
The incident was reviewed by VAR official Coote, with the defender adjudged to have been offside before he was caught by the keeper, although it was later suggested the actual challenge was not re-examined and referee Michael Oliver was not asked to have a look at it the second time.
The Daily Mail claims that Coote did not check for a red card for Jordan Pickford after forgetting the rules state he could review the incident despite the offside.
The newspaper claim they have been ‘told Coote thought the offside — which he checked — nullified what happened after that’.
Sources at Liverpool – claim the club ‘were told on Saturday that Coote was “too distracted” by the offside check and did not look a possible red card for the Everton goalie’.
However, Liverpool aren’t happy with the Premier League ‘more interested in briefing their version of events than discussing with the club’.
It is believed dialogue between top-flight teams, the Premier League and the Professional Game Match Officials Board happens regularly.
