Alexander Isak injury: Should Micky van de Ven have seen red for his tackle on the Liverpool striker?

Tottenham coach Thomas Frank was not happy with many of the decisions made against his team in their 2-1 home loss on Saturday.

Xavi Simons was sent off after he collided with Virgil van Dijk on the back of his calf as he closed down the Liverpool defender.

Referee John Brooks only showed the yellow card, but it was sent to the pitch monitor by VAR technician Stuart Attwell.

“The game is over if that’s a red card,” Frank said. However, the consensus among former players was that it was the right decision.

On Match of the Day, Joe Hart said: “That’s a very dangerous tackle, he caught it on the back of the Achilles tendon, it’s definitely a red card.”

Chief referee Howard Webb explained last season that this type of challenge should lead to a VAR review.

His comments came after Leicester City player Wilfred Ndidi was not sent off after he tore off the leg of Chelsea player Cole Palmer in an incident similar to Simons’ incident with Van Dijk.

Webb said of Ndidi’s foul: “We have looked at this collectively, among the officials, and they have talked about this, and we would prefer this to be dealt with with a red card. We have to protect the safety of the players.”

But what about the potential red card for Alejandro Garnacho earlier in the day? The Chelsea striker only received a warning for his foul on Newcastle’s Jacob Ramsey.

Referee Andy Madley’s decision was supported by VAR referee Peter Banks.

There are some important differences to consider.

The ball was within playing distance when Jarnacho began the challenge. As he then drove into Ramsay with his nails, there was no force or intensity – and only a small amount of contact.

If a player makes a tackle and mistimes it, a warning is seen as an acceptable disciplinary consequence, even if the initial contact was over the boot.

Challenges from the back, as with Simons, where there is no access to the ball, are more likely to result in a red card.