Gary Neville makes feelings clear about James Tarkowski's 'potential leg-breaker' tackle on Liverpool star Alexis Mac Allister
Manchester United great Gary Neville has claimed that James Tarkowski was lucky not to be sent off for his recent tackle on Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister.
Earlier this Wednesday (April 2), Arne Slot's side extended their lead atop the Premier League standings to 12 points with a 1-0 win against Everton at Anfield. Diogo Jota scored the only goal of the game after a mazy run in the 57th minute.
In the 11th minute of the contest at Anfield, Tarkowski received a booking after fouling Mac Allister near the edge of Everton's box. Despite a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) check, the Everton captain was not shown a red card for the reckless nature of his tackle.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville offered his thoughts (h/t Liverpool Echo):
"Most would say he got the ball, but he knew exactly what he was doing, Tarkowski. Mac Allister was there, [Tarkowski was] doing an old-fashioned follow-through... take the lot. Yeah, I think he's lucky because he's gone high."
Neville, who is an eight-time Premier League champion, continued:
"If you're a defender, you can put your foot on the floor if you want to, if you want to leave your studs in the air and catch someone’s knee or shin, I think he's very lucky. I think it's a bad one, that's a potential leg-breaker."
After the completion of the VAR review, the Sky Sports pundit added:
"I think he's very lucky there, Tarkowski. There will be some saying it's a natural follow-through, trust me, you do not need to follow through like that with such force, it's high, he's very lucky. I wouldn't have complained at all if that was a red. We all used to do it, classic get away with it, kick the ball away and follow through rather than putting it back on the ground."
Liverpool identify 23-year-old as top defensive target
According to Spanish website Fichajes.net, Liverpool are keen to snap up Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie this summer. They believe the left-footed star could prove to be a good replacement for Virgil van Dijk, whose deal is set to expire this June.
However, Liverpool are expected to face difficult competition in the race to sign Hincapie. Real Madrid are also interested in the 23-year-old due to David Alaba's recurring physical issues.
Hincapie, whose current contract will run out in June 2029, has featured in 157 overall appearances for Leverkusen. He has helped them lift three trophies, including one Bundesliga title.
