Gary Neville & Mike Dean explain why Chelsea’s Tosin escaped a red card vs. Liverpool, comparing it to the incident involving Saliba…

Gary Neville and Mike Dean provide insights into why Chelsea’s Tosin did not receive a red card in the encounter with Liverpool, comparing it to the incident involving Saliba.

Gary Neville and Mike Dean discussed the decision-making surrounding Chelsea’s Tosin Adarabioyo, who avoided a red card against Liverpool, in light of a similar incident involving Arsenal’s William Saliba.

Over the weekend, both players faced comparable situations, yet the outcomes differed significantly.

Neville and Dean concurred that Tosin should not have received a red card during Chelsea’s match at Anfield, especially when contrasted with Saliba’s dismissal in Arsenal’s defeat to Bournemouth.

In Saliba’s case, he was initially shown a yellow card by referee Robert Jones for a last-man foul on Evanilson, which was later upgraded to a red after VAR intervention.

This incident occurred after a misplaced pass from Leandro Trossard allowed Evanilson to break through, leading to Saliba’s foul. Arsenal ultimately lost the match 2-0, with goals from Ryan Christie and Justin Kluivert in the second half.

In a similar scenario less than a day later, Chelsea faced Liverpool, where Mohamed Salah’s pass found Diogo Jota, who was fouled by Tosin just beyond the halfway line.

Referee John Brooks issued a yellow card, and VAR upheld this decision. Neville noted the key difference, stating that unlike Saliba, Tosin had defenders nearby.

Mike Dean added that the situation involved too much uncertainty, emphasizing that the ball was also directed towards the assistant referee, making it a distinct case from Saliba’s incident.

A statement from the Premier League released through the Match Centre on Saturday clarified the circumstances surrounding Saliba’s red card: “The referee issued a yellow card to Saliba for a challenge on Evanilson. However, the VAR determined that Saliba had denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity and suggested an on-field review. Consequently, the referee upgraded the yellow card to a red.”

As a result of this red card, Saliba will be unavailable for this weekend’s crucial Premier League match against Liverpool, but he will only face a one-match suspension.

Professional fouls incur a one-game ban, in contrast to the three-game suspension for violent conduct.

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice expressed his belief that the team would have secured victory against Bournemouth had Saliba remained in the game.

He remarked, “This marks three red cards in eight matches, indicating a decline in our standards. To compete at the highest level, we must avoid such occurrences.

“I am proud of the response we demonstrated, the belief we had in our ability to win, and the opportunities we created.

I take pride in the mentality of these players. We will continue to push forward and fight. It is disappointing because we aimed to remain unbeaten and win the match.

However, this is football, a true rollercoaster. Perfection is unattainable; there will be highs and lows, but we must remain united.

“If the match had stayed 11 against 11, I believe we would have emerged victorious. We still generated some excellent chances. They were putting pressure on us and leaving significant gaps.

“But that’s the nature of football. You cannot simply hope for favorable outcomes; you must earn them.”