Comedic Red Card in Newcastle-Liverpool Match…
The Premier League referees had a field day when Anthony Gordon was sent off for a tackle that seemed to belong less on a football field and more in a bullfighting ring with Virgil van Dijk playing the part of an unsuspecting matador. Initially, referee Simon Hooper thought Gordon’s challenge wasn’t so serious, but after consulting the video assistant referee, who probably had a slow-motion replay with classical music in the background, the decision was upgraded to a red card.
The explanation for this dramatic twist was provided in a statement that read something like a plot twist in a soap opera. After reconsidering things, the referee announced that Gordon’s challenge was indeed very serious—so serious, in fact, that it could have matched the speed of a superhero quickly delivering an unpleasant foot massage to van Dijk’s calf. And so, Anthony Gordon, the Newcastle number 10, took his early exit like an actor leaving the stage with an encore of boos echoing behind him.
