Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane told he escaped red card tackle on Liverpool ace Andy Robertson due to being England captain

Harry Kane has been told that he escaped a red card for a rash tackle on Andy Robertson due to him being the England captain as Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool clashed in a thriller yesterday. The match ended 2-2 and was filled with controversial moments until the full-time whistle.

Tottenham could have gotten the three points, contrary to what many expected ahead of the game, had they finished their chances. After scoring the opener, the 28-year-old Harry Kane was involved in a potential red card challenge on the Reds fullback but it ended up being a yellow card.

Speaking during the post-match discussion on Sky Sports (h/t The Sun), Jamie Redknapp claimed that the Englishman was not sent off just due to his reputation, as there was no other explanation for the decision. He added how Robertson could have had a horrible injury if he had not cushioned the challenge.

“That is a red card. When you go in and use that amount of force, right now how the game is, he is out of control. If Robertson’s foot is on the floor he snaps his leg. It is not intentional, he is not that type of player. Being England captain, [his] reputation helps a lot. I don’t understand the terminology used. VAR is talking about speed and intensity, Kane is sprinting and lunges in, that is nonsense.”

A case to make?

Arguments can be made for both sides as the rules have gotten vague over the years due to various reasons. Kane could have been given the marching orders on another day but he would also have escaped it depending on the interpretation of the incident.

His foot going into the tackle was high, despite his other leg being tucked in and away from Robertson. The decision may have been checked in the backroom but there was no elaborate review of the incident such as the one we saw when the Scotland captain was himself sent off.

There have been many cases like this in the Premier League over the years and while some have been shown a red card for a similar tackle, others have had the benefit of the doubt and escaped with a yellow. If one looks at the intention and context surrounding the challenge, it is understandable why it was a yellow card. It was also pretty early on in the game and if the on-field decision was a yellow, VAR requires elaborate proof to overturn it.

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It is a bit like how the handball situation has evolved in the past, where there have been discussions on the factors surrounding it. Natural position, reaction timing and intentions are taken into account even though the rules are vague about it.

Spurs are in seventh following the draw at home with 26 points from 15 matches. We have three games in hand compared to those clubs who have not missed a game yet. Should we win those, we could take over the fourth spot, which would put us in a favourable situation and as for the game against the Reds, we should just treat it as a freak game that we had to get out of the way after a tumultuous period at N17 following the Covid-19 outbreak in our camp.