Liverpool fans all asking the same question after VAR clears Nicolas Jackson despite horror tackle

Chelsea suffered a severe drubbing at the hands of Liverpool’s Premier League title rivals Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night. 

Two goals each from Kai Havertz and Ben White, and another from Leandro Trossard, ensured Mikel Arteta’s side a 5-0 victory, amply improving their goal difference advantage over Manchester City and the Reds, who play Everton in the Merseyside Derby tonight. 

However, one incident early in the first half sparked a reaction from Liverpool fans, when Nicolas Jackson committed an appalling foul on the Arsenal full back Takehiro Tomiyasu inside 10 minutes. 

Going over the top of the ball, the Chelsea striker planted his studs into the ankle of the Japan international, who was lucky to avoid serious injury in the collison. 

Simon Hooper opts against red card for Jackson

No booking was given by matchday referee Simon Hooper, and, after consultation with the VAR, no further action was taken against the Senegalese either. 

Reds supporters were quick to point out that the challenge appeared to be MUCH WORSE than the Curtis Jones tackle against Tottenham back in September, which saw the Liverpool midfielder receive a straight red card after a VAR consultation. 

Incredibly, it was Simon Hooper who was matchday official that day at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, again emphasising the inconsistency in the Premier League refereeing. 

'Jones sent off for less'

“Jackson challenge ‘checked and cleared’,” one fan wrote on social networking site X, formerly Twitter. “What a joke, Curtis Jones got sent off for less.”

“That Jackson challenge is 1000% worse than Curtis Jones' red card,” wrote another fan. “They are so inconsistent!”

“How that’s not a red for Jackson but Curtis Jones got one for winning the ball is beyond me,” said another. 

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand was also incredulous that no red card had been given to Jackson. 

“Wow - I’m going to need that explained to me,” he said in his role as TNT Sports pundit when informed that the tackle had been 'checked and cleared'.

That contrasts to the harsh punishment meted out to Jones on matchday seven of the Premier League season.  

In the 26th minute during September’s clash, Jones attempted to win the ball from Yves Bissouma and his momentum carried him into his fellow midfielder’s leg. 

Jones was initially only shown a yellow card by Hooper, however, the official changed his decision to a straight red for serious foul play after a VAR review. 

Jurgen Klopp’s side ended up losing 2-1 at Spurs in hugely controversial circumstances with Luis Diaz’s perfectly legitimate goal mistakenly ruled out for offside and Diogo Jota also being dismissed late on. 

Such was the scale of the error that Klopp called for the Spurs game to be replayed, a request which came to no avail despite PGMOL admitting a "significant human error".

With Liverpool trailing Arsenal and Man City at the top of the table by miniscule margins, that remains a game that could have a big impact on the fate of the Premier League title.