Former Premier League official Dermot Gallagher has said that Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet should have been sent off against Stoke City on Wednesday night.
During the first half at the bet365 Stadium, Mignolet came out of goal and fouled Mame Biram Diouf at a time when the Stoke attacker was in a position to potentially tap the ball into an empty net.
The referee only cautioned Mignolet - a decision which was praised by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp - but the German's opposite number Mark Hughes criticised the official's failure to dismiss the Belgian at a time when the Potters were trailing 1-0.
Despite the presence of Liverpool defender Joe Gomez, Gallagher has insisted that the referee made the wrong call and failed to apply the correct rules.
Gallagher told Sky Sports News: "It's a red card because it is outside of the penalty area so it does not fall into the line of double-jeopardy rule. It's a foul, he has stopped him going through.
"If you watch Diouf, he has got the ball at his feet. One more step and he can roll it into the net. The fact that Gomez is there is actually a red herring because he would never catch him. The law says that it has to be an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. He's got the ball at his feet. It would be."
Liverpool eventually prevailed by a 3-0 scoreline thanks to goals from Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.
Darren Plant
