Clattenburg: Kompany deserve a red card for wild Salah’s tackle

Vincent Kompany was lucky not to be sent off for his challenge on Liverpool’s Mo Salah.

In defence of referee Anthony Taylor, he does not have the luxury of slowing the action down and reviewing the incident — and in moments such as this, that is sometimes what you need to be 100 per cent sure, because everything happens so quickly.

On watching the replay, it is easy to make a case for a red card, because it is clear Kompany lunges with a straight leg and his studs showing.

The Belgian knew he had to make that type of tackle because Salah would have been away and one-on-one with the goalkeeper. A referee should consider all such factors.

Salah, meanwhile, is very lucky his foot was not planted in the turf, because that challenge could have caused him serious injury.

As for Kompany appearing to call the Liverpool forward a ‘pussy’ as he lay on the floor, I would not have reacted to that had I heard it as a referee, not in the heat of battle and in such a high-stakes game. What happens on the pitch should stay on the pitch in that regard.