Gabriel Agbonlahor recounted a story about referee Michael Oliver post his performance during the Liverpool versus Manchester United clash on Sunday.
Oliver faced significant criticism for sending off Diogo Dalot in the goalless draw at Anfield. Dalot contested a throw-in decision in stoppage time, later confirmed by replays to be correct. Despite this, Oliver and the linesman awarded the throw-in to Liverpool, which infuriated Dalot, leading to his dissent and subsequent dismissal.
Expressing his discontent on TalkSPORT, Agbonlahor labeled Oliver’s decision to dismiss Dalot as ‘ridiculous.’ He also shared an anecdote about Oliver, suggesting the referee seems to consider himself a ‘celebrity.’
Agbonlahor criticized Oliver’s handling of the situation, mentioning a previous incident involving Martinelli against Wolves. He expressed his belief that some referees relish such attention and recounted witnessing Oliver taking pictures with fans during a Euro game, implying a sense of celebrity status similar to Mike Dean.
Agbonlahor suggested an alternative approach for Oliver to handle the situation, indicating that cautioning Dalot instead of immediately issuing a second yellow might have sufficed. The lack of consistency in refereeing decisions in the league has caused frustration among United fans, particularly regarding Dalot’s dismissal, which felt overly harsh given the context of the intense game.