Rio Ferdinand and Arsene Wenger have both claimed that Inter Milan forward Alexis Sanchez did not deserve to be shown a red card against Liverpool.
Shortly after the Italian champions had taken the lead against the Reds through a superb goal from Lautaro Martinez, the ex-Arsenal and Manchester United player was shown a second yellow for a tackle on Fabinho .
The 33-year-old appeared somewhat lucky to escape with a booking in the first half for his high challenge on Thiago Alcantara.
However, Sanchez’s former Arsenal boss Wenger insists that the referee could have opted not to show a yellow for the second tackle and that his decision ultimately “killed the game”.
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“You have to go for it because when you’re 1-0 down with 20 minutes to go, you fear the worst,” the Gunners legend told beIN Sports.
“I think the referee killed the game at the wrong moment. It could have been interesting to see the last 25 minutes with 11 against 11.
“Although I must say, Liverpool deserved to qualify over the two games because even today, they hit the post three times.
“But I don’t agree with the decision of the referee, as much as he could have given a red card to Sanchez on the first foul.
“With the second one, not only was it not a foul and Fabinho made the most of it but killed a little bit of the interest of the game in the last 20 minutes.”
Ferdinand agreed with Wenger that referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz could have taken a different approach.
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The ex-United defender suggested that Sanchez had tried to win the ball and did not believe it was a yellow card.
“He’s won the ball, you can’t tell me he shouldn’t try and win that ball, look how low his leg is,” Ferdinand told BT Sport.
“He’s bringing his leg away, in slow motion like that it makes it look worse than it is. He’s actually going to win the ball, he’s stupid for giving the referee the chance to make a decision, but it’s harsh.
“Yes, it’s a foul, but I don’t believe it’s a yellow.
“The reaction from the referee for me is the reaction of someone that hasn’t played the game, that is genuinely how I feel.
“If a footballer is making that decision based on what he sees there, he says ‘that’s a foul, make sure you take care next time.”
