Harry Kane was ‘lucky’ not to have been sent off for a wild lunge on Andy Robertson in Tottenham’s draw with Liverpool, says Gary Neville… as Jamie Redknapp claims being England captain may have spared him
- Harry Kane risked a red card with a reckless challenge on Andrew Robertson
- The wild challenge happened in the first 20 minutes as Liverpool faced Spurs
- Reds boss Jurgen Klopp was clearly angry with the challenge on the sideline
- Pundit Gary Neville warned that booked Kane was fortunate to stay on the pitch
- Kane had put Tottenham into the lead in Sunday’s 2-2 draw in North London
Harry Kane was lucky not to see red for a wild lunge that floored Liverpool’s Andrew Robertson just minutes after the Tottenham talisman had scored in Sunday’s Premier League showdown, Jamie Redknapp and Gary Neville have argued.
Tottenham had taken a 13th-minute lead through Kane shortly before he left the visiting left back wincing on the turf with a reckless one-footed challenge that enraged Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
Kane was among the players to remonstrate with referee Paul Tierney, who decided a booking was a suitable sanction amid calls for a harsher punishment at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Harry Kane lunged in on Andrew Robertson less than 20 minutes into Liverpool’s trip to Spurs
Ex-Reds midfielder Jamie Redknapp said that Robertson was lucky his foot was not grounded
Watching pundit Neville told Sky Sports: ‘Harry Kane is a lucky boy. That was not a clever challenge.’
Redknapp insisted: ‘It’s a red card. He’s reckless and out of control. The crowd were up, fever pitch. When you go in for a challenge, I’ve seen a lot of players sent off for less than that.
‘Having a reputation, being England captain – these little things do help you, because that is a really late challenge.
‘He’s lucky that Andy Robertson’s foot is not on the floor, but he just gets out of the way in time. He’s over the top of the ball, it’s high.’
Kane sent Robertson flying into the air and the away fans wanted the striker to earn a red card
The England captain pleaded his case to referee Paul Tierney following the questionable tackle
The visiting fans bayed for Kane’s dismissal following the incendiary incident with Spurs still 1-0 up at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Robertson gingerly rose to his feet following the tackle on his ankle, helping his side on their way to levelling the scores ten minutes before the break through Diogo Jota’s header.
At full-time, Carragher added: ‘I don’t understand the terminology used. VAR is talking about speed and intensity, Kane is sprinting and lunges in, that is nonsense.’
And Redknapp said: ‘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.
Tierney brandished a yellow card as Robertson remained on the turf and was clearly in pain
‘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… reputation helps a lot.’
Jota had earlier been denied a penalty that former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher described as ‘blatant’.
Carragher complained: ‘There were eight penalties last week. [It’s unclear] whether referees have thought this week they’re not giving them [or] it’s got to be [for] something really big.
‘Newcastle should have had one [against Manchester City] earlier this afternoon. It’s a blatant penalty.
The reprimanded hotshot had given Spurs the lead minutes earlier in the heavyweight clash
‘We went too far last season the other way – last season, if it was just a touch, it was a penalty.
‘We’ve come away from that, which I think we’d all agree with, but… a penalty’s a penalty.’
Angry Klopp joined Kane in the book after arguing with Tierney following the striker’s foul, and the Reds boss was later seen reiterating his views to the official in the tunnel at the break.
Robertson was sent off with little more than ten minutes remaining after an altercation with Emerson Royal that Tierney checked with the help of VAR, as the feisty encounter ended 2-2 in North London.