Liverpool academy star's worrying trend continues with third alarming conduct

Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai was not the only player who was sent off today, with the Reds' U21s also dropping points and Amara Nallo's record worsening

Amara Nallo during a Premier League 2 game at Liverpool's Academy.(Image: Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Dominik Szoboszlai was not the only Liverpool player to get sent off today, with the Reds' U21s also dropping points earlier on.

In the senior team's fixture at Anfield, Szoboszlai was pulled back for a red card offense as he tugged on the jersey of Erling Haaland. After a VAR review, the goal was ruled out and Szoboszlai was dismissed by the referee, Craig Pawson.

As Liverpool's U21s drew 1-1 with Southampton, it was Amara Nallo who was given his marching orders. He was sent off 24 minutes in when the Reds were 1-0 up thanks to Tommy Pilling's strike, with Nicholas Oyekunle leveling from the penalty spot just a couple of minutes before the full-time whistle.

Nallo's center-back partner, Carter Pinnington, was the man to concede the spot kick. Ten-man Liverpool had almost done enough to get over the line and save their captain's blushes.

This is the third time that Nallo has been sent off since he signed for Liverpool. At the senior level, in his first 16 minutes of action, he was sent off against PSV in the Champions League and then against Crystal Palace in the League Cup.

First team boss Arne Slot wasn't happy to see Dominik Szoboszlai sent off, but accepted that the decision was the right one.

Amara Nallo leaves the Anfield pitch after being shown a red card during the Carabao Cup defeat to Crystal Palace(Image: (Molly Darlington/Getty Images))

"I can live with the fact, although I don't like it, that the referee follows the rulebook and Dominik makes a foul on Haaland in that last situation, which is a clear shirt-pull and he was through to goal so he would have scored," he explained.

"So that's a red card. And I think the Sunderland manager is really happy that he gives the red card. So that's the rulebook and you follow the rulebook.

"But if you follow the rulebook and you have a clear shirt-pull from [Marc] Guehi on Mo Salah, who for eight years is scoring that ball every single time — 100 out of 100 times he scores that goal, a bit exaggerated — and that is not a red card, then there is more of my frustration.

"But I can live with the red card for Dom. If you like football you say, 'Ah, leave it as it is, it's a goal, it's good for them, it's good for everyone.' But if you are the Sunderland manager you prefer to see a red card. That's the rule and follow the rules is all we ask."

Slot expanded on his belief that Guehi should have been sent off when he was only cautioned for pulling back Salah, who was right on the edge of the penalty area, when he spoke to Sky Sports.

"We can talk about the decisions," Slot said. "I would like to talk about the one time Mo was through on goal and Guehi holds his shirt.

"Everyone who has been in this stadium in the last eight years knows if Mo is in that position, it is a goal. So it is a denial of a goalscoring opportunity."