Liverpool receive new Wataru Endo challenge yellow card verdict as decision explained
Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo was on the receiving end of a horror challenge from Julio Enciso
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has defended the decision not to send Julio Enciso off for a sickening collision with Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo. The Japanese international was left in a heap after a high challenge from the Paraguayan, nine minutes from time.
The 21-year-old escaped retrospective action as referee Michael Salisbury issued a yellow card for the Brighton & Hove Albion loanee. Fortunately for Liverpool and the midfielder, there was no lasting damage as he remained on the pitch to help the Reds to a 4-1 win over Ipswich Town.
Arne Slot's side avoided a potential banana skin, netting three first-half goals through Dominik Szoboszlai, Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo before the Dutch attacker doubled his tally for the afternoon in the second-half.
Gallagher believes Enciso was spared a red card after pulling away his boot to avoid making contact with Endo's chest.
"I think what saves him from a red card, if you watch at the end, he actually pulls his boot away," he said. "He knows he's going to collide with him. He knows it's not a wise challenge, but he does pull his boot away.
"He doesn't go through with his studs. He doesn't catch him in the chest with his studs. He's going to catch him but because he's come – he hasn't jumped with a massive amount of force behind him, so it's not wise. But I don't think it's a red card."
Post-match, Slot failed to be drawn on the incident following the criticism, he said: "Yeah, when the foul was made, I was like: ‘Oh that doesn't look good'.
"And the reaction from the players that were around him showed me and I was like: ‘Oh let’s wait and see’.
“But after the game, Wata, immediately during the game already, he just shakes his head one or two times and just goes again. His mentality is unbelievable and he was fine. So it was only a yellow so I assume that the fear I had was not realistic because it was only a yellow.
"In general, I don’t think referees act like that (no red card because it wasn't a close game) because if they do so, they hear it from the people above them: 'You have to do what is necessary'. I assume it was a yellow, I haven’t watched it back but I assume."