Liverpool Midfielder Frustrated with New Rules in the Premier League
Liverpool midfielder, Alexis Mac Allister, expressed his displeasure with the new rules in the Premier League after he received a yellow card for demanding a caution for a Chelsea player. One of the novelties in this season’s Premier League is that referees are allowed to be stricter with players’ reactions. Players are no longer allowed to make gestures towards referees to show they want a yellow card for an opponent. However, it seems that both Chelsea and Liverpool players are struggling to adapt to this new rule, as they have been given undeserved yellow cards in the opening match on August 13th.
In the 85th minute, Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson led a counterattack but was fouled from a distance by defender Ibrahima Konate. Jackson raised his hand to signal to referee Anthony Taylor to give a yellow card to Konate. While Taylor did show a yellow card, it was given to Jackson himself for his actions. Four minutes later, Liverpool’s midfielder Conor Gallagher committed a foul as Mac Allister was counterattacking. Falling down, Mac Allister raised his hand to request a yellow card for Gallagher from the referee, only to retract his hand immediately as if realizing his mistake. However, Taylor promptly issued a yellow card to the Argentine midfielder. Frustrated, Mac Allister moved towards the referee but was prevented by his teammate, Virgil van Dijk.
Had Mac Allister confronted the referee, he could have received an additional yellow card as this action is also prohibited in the 2023-2024 season. Players are not allowed to approach the referee from a distance to apply pressure, similar to how midfielder Bruno Fernandes often did in previous seasons for Manchester United. Additionally, players are not allowed to make rectangular gestures indicating VAR intervention. Such actions will lead to yellow cards, and referees might not be lenient.
Witnessing Mac Allister make a similar mistake to Jackson’s just moments before, Sam Dymond of Sun Sport commented, “Footballers don’t seem to be very wise after all.”
In this match, referee Taylor demonstrated his strict approach by issuing a yellow card to defender Trent Alexander-Arnold for taking too much time with a throw-in in the 68th minute. He also showed yellow cards to Enzo Fernandez and Diogo Jota in the 32nd minute when the two players exchanged heated words and clashed heads.
Some of Taylor’s decisions left Liverpool’s manager, Jurgen Klopp, dissatisfied. In a late-game situation, a Liverpool player was fouled, prompting Klopp to express his frustration by shouting and kneeling down in disbelief. On the Premier League subreddit, the most discussed topic after the crucial match on August 13th was, “Is Anthony Taylor the worst referee in the league?”
In summary, the introduction of stricter rules for players’ reactions in the Premier League has led to confusion and frustration among both Chelsea and Liverpool players. The enforcement of these rules has sparked debates about the performance of referee Anthony Taylor and his decisions during the match.
