Liverpool icon and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has delivered his definitive analysis on the controversial red card shown to Tottenham Hotspur's Xavi Simons during the Premier League clash with Liverpool, branding the tackle on Virgil van Dijk "horrific" but expressing a degree of sympathy for the player.
Carragher's Analysis of the Simons Incident
The pivotal moment occurred when Simons was dismissed for a high challenge on Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk. Speaking on Monday Night Football on December 22, 2025, Carragher admitted his initial reaction differed from the final VAR-assisted decision. "When I saw it at normal speed I didn't think it was a red card," Carragher stated, "but then you slow it down and it looks horrific - but I think everything does slowed down."
Carragher attempted to decipher the midfielder's intent, suggesting the significant size difference between the players may have been a factor. "I've got a little bit of sympathy for Simons," he explained. "The only thing I can think he's trying to do is... you're trying to leave one on somebody, almost knock them off the ball."
He focused on Simons' body language, arguing the player was more clumsy than malicious. "I actually think he's just clumsy and he doesn't realise where his feet are going," Carragher said. "Look at his arms the way they come up now, to almost give a shove to him... I almost think he's not even aware of where his foot is going and he's just caught him on the back."
A More Deserving Red Card?
Despite his nuanced take on Simons' sending-off, Carragher was unequivocal about another incident in the match. He firmly believes a different challenge warranted stronger punishment.
When pressed on whether VAR was right to upgrade Simons' initial yellow card to a red, Carragher pivoted to a second-half tackle by Tottenham's Rodrigo Bentancur on Milos Kerkez. "I can't say it's not a red card," he said of Simons' foul, "but if you're asking me would I rather that be a red card or Bentancur's challenge on Kerkez, it would be Bentancur's challenge on Kerkez in the second-half every day of the week."
The Final Verdict on VAR Intervention
Carragher's commentary highlights the ongoing debate around VAR's role in interpreting slow-motion replays and player intent. While conceding the freeze-frame image of Simons' tackle looked indefensible, his analysis sought to understand the action from a player's perspective, suggesting a momentary misjudgement rather than outright aggression.
However, by emphatically pointing to Bentancur's challenge as a more clear-cut offence, the former defender implies that match officials and the VAR system at Stockley Park may have focused on the more visually dramatic incident while potentially missing a worse one. His verdict adds a significant layer of expert opinion to a match already packed with drama and controversy.
