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Mike Dean says Andreas Pereira should '100% have been sent off' before scoring vs Liverpool

tom malley
·2-min read
Andreas Pereira
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Liverpool suffered a nightmare start in today's game with Fulham after Andreas Pereira put the visitors ahead after just 11 minutes of the contest at Anfield in controversial fashion.

While the finish from the Brazilian was impressive enough, stretching at the far post to volley home Antonee Robinson's cross, there was a fair argument to suggest he shouldn't have even been on the field in the first place.

Despite the early stages of the game, Pereira could have been dismissed within minutes of kick-off after catching Ryan Gravenberch from behind, yet the midfielder was lucky to escape with just a booking.

However, speaking on Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports, former Premier League defender Michael Dawson claimed Liverpool had every right to believe that the former Manchester United man shouldn't have even been on the pitch prior to his goal after scraping his foot down the back of Gravenberch's leg.

"Liverpool will be questioning, should Pereira have had a red card. I think we saw it a few weeks ago when Tom Cairney fouled Dejan Kulusevski - straight down the back of his Achilles. This was very similar," Dawson said.

"Tony Harrington gave a yellow. VAR, I'm guessing, had a look at it and it wasn't anything."

Former Premier League referee Mike Dean then offered his expert analysis on the situation, and had no qualms on what the original decision should have been.

"He goes just above the Achilles and scrapes down to the top of his boot," Dean remarked. "In my opinion he's nowhere near the ball, knew what he was doing, it should have 100 percent been a red card."

Should Liverpool go on to lose the game, they will feel incredibly hard done by given the circumstances of the challenge, with Pereira then going on to score just moments later.

Shortly after conceding, however, things went from bad to worse for the Reds, with Andy Robertson receiving a straight red card after bringing down Harry Wilson as the last man.

A long ball over the top was intercepted by the Scotsman, yet a poor touch allowed Wilson to get in front of him and draw the foul. Despite a VAR check to see whether the Fulham man was offside, the decision stood and Liverpool now has a major hill to climb for the remainder of the game.