A key refereeing call during Liverpool’s 2–0 win over Brighton has come under fresh scrutiny, with a former top official insisting the wrong decision was made.

The moment in question came late in the first half at Anfield, when Brighton midfielder Diego Gomez caught Florian Wirtz with a high boot near the edge of the penalty area. Referee Craig Pawson opted to show a yellow card, a call that was later reviewed and upheld by VAR.

However, ex-PGMOL chief Keith Hackett believes that judgement fell well short of what the incident deserved. Speaking after the match, Hackett argued that Gomez should have been dismissed, describing the challenge as dangerous and unnecessary.

Liverpool had made a dream start to the game, taking the lead inside the opening minute through Hugo Ekitike. As they pushed for a second goal before the break, Wirtz won possession to keep an attack alive, only to be struck around the midsection by Gomez’s raised foot. The Germany international was left in visible discomfort, but play resumed after the caution.

VAR did not advise Pawson to review the incident on the pitchside monitor. Instead, the Premier League Match Centre explained that the challenge was not deemed to involve excessive force or meet the threshold for serious foul play.

Hackett strongly disagreed with that assessment. He insisted the Brighton player had time to withdraw from the challenge and that the raised boot, delivered at pace and at waist height, ticked all the boxes for a red card offence. In his view, VAR should have stepped in and allowed the referee another look, especially if his original angle was obstructed.

Despite the controversy, the decision did not ultimately affect the final scoreline. Ekitike struck again just after the hour mark to seal the victory, as Liverpool successfully managed the remainder of the contest with Brighton still at full strength.

Hackett was not alone in his criticism. On Sky Sports, Tim Sherwood said he felt the tackle merited a sending-off, arguing that Wirtz reached the ball first and that Gomez was never realistically competing for it.

Former Premier League referee Mike Dean echoed those thoughts, suggesting that while the force may not have been extreme, the height of the foot made the challenge dangerous. In his opinion, the incident leaned far more towards a red card than a yellow.

Liverpool may have taken all three points, but the debate over that key refereeing call shows no sign of dying down.