It’s unusual for the Merseyside Derby between Liverpool and Everton not to produce images full of controversy. In the first leg, played at Goodison Park, a massive fight broke out between both teams after James Tarkowski’s goal in injury time to equalize the match. But, just a few months later, Tarkowski made a criminal tackle on Alexis Mac Allister that could have ended his career.

The hardest tackle in Premier League history?

The match had barely reached the 15-minute mark when, in a 50/50 ball in front of the Everton box, James Tarkowski slid in and sent Alexis Mac Allister flying. It’s true that he first made contact with the ball. However, that is no excuse for the brutal kick Mac Allister took to the shin. For many fans, it was one of the hardest tackles ever remembered in the history of the Premier League.

With each replay provided by the broadcasters, the criminal nature of James Tarkowski’s tackle increased exponentially… while the fans present at Anfield couldn’t believe how Alexis Mac Allister managed to get back on his feet and finish the match because, clearly, it could have broken his leg. The images, clearly, spoke for themselves.

PGMOL admits the mistake for not sending off Tarkowski

What was truly surprising was that, after being alerted by the VAR and reviewing the action on the monitor, referee Samuel Barrott decided not to send off James Tarkowski and, instead, just showed him a yellow card. This decision, by the way, made James Tarkowski the player with the most yellow cards (63) in Premier League history without ever being sent off.

“Maybe we were a bit lucky with the non-expulsion of Tarkowski,” said David Moyes, Everton’s manager, despite his team’s defeat against Liverpool. Especially when thinking about their upcoming matches. However, the tackle has been circulating throughout England, and according to the ‘BBC,’ PGMOL has internally admitted it was a glaring mistake not to send off James Tarkowski for this criminal tackle on Alexis Mac Allister.