Jamie Carragher and Shay Given debated Virgil van Dijk's dismissal in Newcastle United's defeat to Liverpool. The Netherlands international was shown a straight red card after bringing down Alexander Isak, three minutes after Anthony Gordon opened the scoring.
Van Dijk could not hide his frustration with referee John Brooks' decision, but the sending off was upheld following a VAR review. Despite the numerical advantage, the Magpies fell to defeat as substitute Darwin Nunez netted twice at the Leazes End.
The red card was the subject of a half-time debate in the Sky Sports studio between Carragher, Given, and former Newcastle winger Andros Townsend. Carragher did not question whether Isak had been fouled, but did not believe the Magpies frontman had been denied a clear goalscoring opportunity.
He told Sky Sports: "The red card is not about van Dijk giving a foul away. He's given the foul away, it's a foul, no doubt. But we don't know he denies a goalscoring opportunity. Isak is actually ahead of the ball.
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He later added: "Was it denying a goalscoring opportunity? I don't think it was."
Carragher's verdict initially earned a response from Townsend, who quipped that defenders can not be allowed to go around 'swiping strikers'. However, the 32-year-old declined to say whether van Dijk should have been sent off, and this led to Given agreeing with Brooks' call.
The Newcastle legend said: "I'm not on the fence, I think it is the right decision. I think VAR have had a look at it as well, John Brooks has got the right decision."
When pressed further by Carragher, he added: "He's let in run across him, he's clean through."
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