Liverpool boss Arne Slot has leapt to the defence of Andy Robertson following his sending off in their 2-2 draw against Fulham and has oddly claimed that the Scotland skipper was forced to make a challenge because he was carrying an injury.
After Fulham went a goal up at Anfield inside 11 minutes, matters were made worse for the hosts when Robertson saw red for hacking down Cottagers winger Harry Wilson after mis controlling the ball. Slot’s 10 men did get back on level terms shortly after the restart courtesy of Cody Gakpo and later showed their resolve to nick a point four minutes from time when substitute Diogo Jota levelled things up again after Rodrigo Muniz had restored Fuham’s lead.
The draw has left Liverpool sitting five points clear of Chelsea at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand. Robertson, 30, was given his marching orders for only the second time in his career – with his only previous dismissal also coming for the Merseyside giants three years ago – and while he couldn’t condone the challenge, Dutchman Slot admitted his sympathy with the Scot.
He told Sky Sports: “I think Robbo might have been a bit too injured to keep going because normally he’s faster than that. It says a lot about his character that he wants to keep on going but it results in a red card.
“I think it’s just whether it’s offside. I was clear it wasn’t going to be changed. It’s maybe the only thing I didn’t complain about today. It’s an emotional game and we were a man down, it’s frustrating. It’s good to see our performance after so many setbacks.”
Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football.