Former Refereeing Chief Slams Key Decision in Liverpool’s Win Over Brighton

Liverpool continued their strong home form on Saturday with a convincing 2–0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield, but the result has sparked fresh debate over a major refereeing call.

Goals from Hugo Ekitike on either side of half-time secured all three points for Arne Slot’s side, yet former PGMOL boss Keith Hackett believes officials got a crucial decision badly wrong during the first half.

Lightning Start Sets the Tone

The defending Premier League champions wasted no time in asserting control. Just 46 seconds into the match, Brighton failed to deal with a routine defensive situation. A loose clearance fell kindly, Joe Gomez nodded the ball forward, and Ekitike reacted quickest — smashing his effort past Bart Verbruggen to give Liverpool an immediate advantage.

The strike marked Liverpool’s earliest Premier League goal since April 2019, highlighting the intensity of their start.

Brighton struggled to recover from that early setback and created little of note, allowing Liverpool to dictate proceedings for large spells.

Ekitike Strikes Again

Liverpool doubled their lead later in the contest, once again through Ekitike. This time, the French forward capitalised on a dangerous delivery from Mohamed Salah, who received a warm reception upon entering the pitch. The visitors failed to respond, and the scoreline remained unchanged until the final whistle.

However, the talking point of the match arrived shortly before half-time.

Controversial Challenge Raises Eyebrows

Just moments before the interval, Diego Gomez lunged into a challenge on Florian Wirtz, catching the Liverpool player high with his studs. Despite the force and height of the contact, referee Craig Pawson produced only a yellow card.

VAR reviewed the incident and supported the on-field decision, later explaining that the challenge was not judged to involve excessive force or serious foul play.

That explanation did not convince Keith Hackett.

Hackett: “He Was Lucky to Stay on the Pitch”

Speaking after the game, the former refereeing chief insisted Brighton should have been reduced to ten men.

According to Hackett, the challenge met the criteria for a red card due to the height of the boot, the forward momentum, and the potential danger to the opponent. In his view, the decision put player safety at risk and warranted stronger punishment.

Hackett also questioned why Pawson was not sent to the pitchside monitor for a second look, suggesting that VAR should have taken a more proactive role in such incidents.

The former official went on to argue that the application of VAR needs broader interpretation to prevent similar decisions slipping through in the future.