PGMOL – the referee’s governing body for the English game – have made a new admission on James Tarkowski’s ‘leg-breaker’ challenge in the Merseyside derby.

The Everton defender caused uproar when he lunged in on Alexis Mac Allister in the opening minutes of the game, as he slid in to clear a ball and crunched his man on the follow through.

Mac Allister hit the deck in pain as Liverpool players swarmed referee Sam Barrott to call for the centre back to be given his marching orders – as Curtis Jones and Abdoulaye Doucoure were in the reverse fixture just weeks ago.

Ultimately, Liverpool won the game 1-0, but it could have been a different story had they been up against 10 men for the majority of the match.

And that should have been the case, according to PGMOL, who have admitted that the wrong decision was made and that Tarkowski should have been sent packing.

PGMOL have admitted that James Tarkowski should have been sent off for his high challenge on Alexis Mac Allister

Tarkowski went in high on the Liverpool midfielder, who hit the deck in pain as players swarmed referee Sam Barrott

Tarkowski was, though, only shown a yellow card as VAR failed to overturn the original call

The 32-year-old had initially played the ball, clearing it up field but following through on the World Cup winner, with it suggested that the challenge met the threshold for serious foul play.

Paul Tierney was the official on VAR, appearing to rule that the decision was not a clear and obvious error, meaning the on-field call stood.

Mac Allister, meanwhile, appeared to avoid serious injury and also finished the game, which saw his side reinstate their 12-point lead a the top of the Premier League table.

Arne Slot, speaking in his press conference on Thursday ahead of his side’s game against Fulham, said: ‘It is good that if they made a mistake, they acknowledged it. Mistakes are made in a football match – by us, by me, by referees.’

Shortly after full-time at Anfield, Tarkowski could be seen deep in conversation with Mac Allister, where it seemed he was apologising for his actions, something that was received well by Mac Allister, who was seen smiling.

It look as if the conversation – which saw the pair embrace – ended when the Liverpool star said: ‘It’s OK,’ before they walked off in separate directions. 

The challenge had generated outrage at the time, with Jamie Carragher incandescent in the Sky Sports studio during the broadcaster’s coverage of the game, before he expressed his shock that the referee hadn’t sent off Tarkowski. 

‘In terms of refereeing. Barrott is in a brilliant position,’ Carragher fumed. ‘He has to see that, ‘It’s a shocking tackle, we know it should be a red card. For Tierney not to give it on VAR is shocking.’

Arne Slot said on Thursday that it is ‘good’ that PGMOL acknowledged their mistake

Gary Neville branded the challenge a ‘leg-breaker’ on Sky Sport’s broadcast of the game

The player appeared to apologise to Mac Allister on the field after the full time whistle

Former Everton forward Duncan Ferguson agreed with Carragher, admitting that his former side should have been reduced to 10 men.

Ferguson said: ‘There’s no argument, straight red. He knows what he’s doing. He’s come right through him – that could have been a leg breaker. Maybe the referee… it’s his first derby, he should have taken it to the monitor.’

Gary Neville expressed a similar belief about Tarkowski’s challenge on commentary.

‘That’s a potential leg breaker,’ Neville exclaimed. ‘I think he’s very lucky there Tarkowski. There will be those that will say it’s a natural follow through. 

‘Trust me as a defender you do not need to follow through like that and with such force and it’s high. Very lucky.’

Everton boss David Moyes, however, defended the tackle and suggested it was fitting for the occasion.

In a post-match interview he said: ‘First thought it was a brilliant tackle for a derby game. A tackle we would have seen a few years ago.

‘I understand nowadays things are slightly different with follow-throughs. We might have got a bit lucky, don’t put that with the goal because the goal was a different incident that won Liverpool the game.’

The Premier League put out a statement on X minutes after the incident, which read: ‘The referee’s call of yellow card for a reckless foul by Tarkowski was checked by the VAR, with contact on the follow through after Tarkowski had played the ball deemed to be reckless.’