Rio Ferdinand says Jordan Ayew red card was the turning point in Liverpool vs Crystal Palace

As true as it is, the sending off of Crystal Palace forward Jordan Ayew against Liverpool in the Reds’ 2-1 win at Selhurst Park was in fact, the turning point of the game. Following a yellow card for an earlier incident, Jordan Ayew received his second yellow and subsequently saw himself sent off for bringing Harvey Elliott down while the Reds were in transition.

The numerical disadvantage eventually got the better of Roy Hodgson’s men who conceded the first of two goals within a minute of Ayew walking down the tunnel. Mohamed Salah scored his 200th Liverpool and 150th Premier League goal to draw things level. Harvey Elliott scored the eventual winner in the first of ten added minutes to hand the wins a famous victory.

The red card has divided opinions in the footballing fraternity as former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand believed that the incident involving Ayew and Elliott was at max, a tactical foul and did not warrant another yellow, and subsequently, a sending-off.

Speaking on TNT Sports, Ferdinand believed that the foul was not grave enough to land Ayew a second yellow. However, considering Elliott‘s positioning with almost an airstrip of space in front of him, it would probably be safe to assume that the Ghanaian international stopped a counter-attack process.

Ferdinand’s perspective adds a layer of controversy to the decision, bringing attention to the subjective nature of refereeing judgments.

While debates may persist about the severity of Ayew’s challenge, what cannot be disputed is the impact it had on the game. The numerical advantage played into Liverpool’s hands, allowing them to secure a crucial victory in the closing stages.

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While it is not right to jump to conclusions, one can only wonder whether or not Ferdinand had anything to do with Liverpool’s arch-rivals as the referee’s decision to hand Ayew was only right. Even though it wasn’t the denial of a goalscoring chance, the fact that the 32-year-old had absolutely no contact with the ball while Elliott had a decent amount of space in front of him to exploit makes it a good shout for a yellow.