“Breaking into dangerous territory” – Graeme Le Saux ‘can’t believe’ what Liverpool star did during 1-1 draw with Tottenham
Former player-turned-pundit Graeme Le Saux was surprised that Liverpool midfielder Fabinho escaped a booking despite a clear foul on Harry Kane in the Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
The Reds were held to a 1-1 draw at Anfield by a determined Spurs team, dealing a huge blow to their Premier League title ambitions.
Manchester City, who're in action against Newcastle United on Sunday, will go three clear at the top with a win, with just three games remaining.
There was a lot at stake for both Liverpool and Tottenham, and the cagey nature of the opening stanza reflected that. However, midway through the half, Fabinho committed a huge challenge on Kane, hacking the striker down to prevent him from advancing forward.
Free kick to Spurs after Fabinho put a late challenge on Kane.
That should be a yellow.
It looked worthy of a yellow card, but the Brazilian escaped a booking, perplexing Le Saux. Speaking to NBC Sports (via HITC), he said:
“I can’t believe that’s not a yellow card to be honest. It’s way beyond him and [he was] breaking into dangerous territory.”
An otherwise dull first half witnessed a dramatic ending. Virgil van Dijk saw a header come off the crossbar with only seven minutes remaining before the break. Minutes later, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg struck the post for Spurs from a brilliant counter-attack.
Son Heung-Min broke the deadlock in the 56th minute before Luis Diaz restored parity for Liverpool.
Jurgen Klopp's side upped the ante in the closing stages, but Tottenham held firm to see out a draw, dampening the Reds' title charge. Liverpool will return to league action on Tuesday against Aston Villa.
Are Liverpool's quadruple hopes over?
The Spurs stalemate is a huge blow to the Reds' league ambitions, with City now left with a great chance to take charge of the title race.
The Reds need a miracle to reclaim the title initiative, needing the Sky Blues to slip up in their four remaining games.
Are Liverpool's quadruple hopes over? 💔 https://t.co/oyf4T3uZeM
However, considering City's easier run-in than the Reds', it's unlikely the holders will relinquish their top spot, although there could be a few more twists in this intriguing title race.
The Reds, meanwhile, still have two more chances of winning a trophy. They play Chelsea in the FA Cup final on May 14 before taking on Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final two weeks later.