credit: Ben Foster - The Cycling GK and Imago

Max Wilkins

Fri 4 April 2025 13:47, UK

Ben Foster wasn’t holding back after Liverpool secured a Merseyside derby win against Everton on Wednesday.

The Toffees fell to a 1-0 defeat to Arne Slot’s side at Anfield on 2 April thanks to a second-half strike from Jota.

This put to an end an unbeaten Premier League run since the introduction of David Moyes, going nine without defeat before the derby.

With that being said, things could have been so much worse for the Blues after a controversial moment with barely ten minutes gone.

Foster reacts to James Tarkowski controversy in Everton v Liverpool

There is no doubt that the English defender should have been sent off in L4 for his follow-through challenge on Alexis Mac Allister.

The Everton man may have got the ball, but catching an opposition player full-on, on the knee, could prove to be a leg breaker.

The challenge was a flashback to years gone by when that sort of challenge would have been celebrated by supporters and players alike.

This is the viewpoint of ex-Manchester United keeper Foster, who reacted to the challenge on the Football Fill-In on 4 April.

He said: “It’s the sort of tackle as a keeper I would have watched and said, ‘Get in there, you beauty!’

“It’s a belter of a tackle, he knows exactly what he’s doing. He knows that he can win the ball quite comfortably and also follow through and take him out.”

Foster gets it wrong in Tarkowski verdict

Many football fans may agree with where the former keeper is coming from, but the challenge was horrendous and deserved a harsher verdict.

Tarkowski’s challenge was high and ultimately could have seriously injured Mac Allister, which no one wants to see, regardless of it being a derby.

The Premier League have already admitted wrongdoing, which just proves the level of mistake that was made at Anfield.

This would have ultimately changed the game and taken it out of the Toffees’ grasp more than it would have been without Jota.

Beto had an amazing chance to bring the scores level but missed, potentially an element of karma for Moyes and his side.

Although Foster may have enjoyed the tackle from a keeper’s perspective, this wasn’t good enough from Tarkowski once again.