After being booked for no apparent reason during Liverpool’s rout of Brentford, Joel Matip reacted angrily.
On Sunday, the Reds clinched a tie for second place in the Premier League by defeating Thomas Frank’s team 3-0 at Anfield. The Merseysiders had a successful afternoon, but Matip’s yellow card left him feeling frustrated.
The defender was cautioned in the 37th minute after stopping a Brentford burst through Christian Norgaard. Matip may have tripped the Brentford player, but he actually took possession of the ball cleanly.
However, referee Craig Pawson disagreed, and instead cautioned Matip and gave a free kick to the Bees. The Cameroonian was clearly angry as he dropped to his knees, questioned the referee’s decision fiercely, and then engaged in an animated conversation with him.
Supporters flocked to Twitter to vent their disappointment at the decision. Someone commented, “Free kick against Matip AND booking for this. Incredible.”
One Liverpool supporter commented, “Joel Matip was RAGING over his yellow card, and it’s hard to blame him – it was a ridiculous decision.” A second backer chimed in, “Officials are really awful, aren’t they? We don’t know how Matip got arrested for that. Bizarre. This isn’t even a penalty.
Others found the defender’s reaction humorous, despite their shock at Matip’s red card. A supporter of Matip has commented, “Man, Matip is the funniest player ever.” It never fails to make me chuckle.
Another user commented, “Matip’s reactions are hilarious,” and a third fan said, “How funny was Matip when he got booked earlier by the way, proper lost his rag didn’t he hahahaha.”
Fortunately, the yellow card won’t hurt Liverpool or Matip too badly in the long run. As he replaced Ibrahima Konate in the Reds’ starting lineup, it was his seventh appearance of the season, and his first booking of the year puts him a long way from punishment.
After the game, Jurgen Klopp lauded Matip and the rest of the defense for a “really good” showing.
After the international break, Matip will look to prove himself worthy of a starting spot. When Liverpool returns to action, they will face a Manchester City team that is currently second in the Premier League standings.
