During the Carabao Cup final, Mohamed Salah, the renowned Egyptian footballer, visibly displayed his frustration as Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool’s manager, criticized the referee’s decision regarding Ryan Gravenberch’s departure from the field. Salah, sidelined due to yet another injury, watched as Gravenberch received assistance after a harsh tackle from Moises Caicedo.
Despite Salah’s appeals to the officials from the sidelines and discussions with his injured teammates, including shaking his head in disappointment, ex-Premier League referee Mike Dean deemed Caicedo’s tackle not worthy of a sending-off, citing it as not constituting serious foul play. Jamie Redknapp, providing commentary on Sky Sports, echoed Salah and Klopp’s frustration, describing the challenge as clumsy, especially noting Gravenberch’s planted foot during the tackle.
The match saw Joe Gomez substitute Gravenberch following a brief altercation between Ben Chilwell and Conor Bradley, resulting in yellow cards for both players. The first half concluded with no goals, although Raheem Sterling’s effort was disallowed due to a marginal offside call on Nicolas Jackson’s pass.
Liverpool’s goalkeeper, Caoimhin Kelleher, showcased his skills with an outstanding save against Blues’ forward Cole Palmer, while Liverpool themselves came close to scoring when Cody Gakpo’s header hit the post. Notably, Liverpool had to contend with the absence of key players such as Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez, both sidelined with injuries, adding to their challenges on the field.