How many times have Liverpool FC been reduced to nine men?

Liverpool felt aggrieved on several counts during Saturday’s Premier League visit to Spurs. The club’s most serious gripe concerned a goal that was disallowed due to a mix-up in communication between match official Simon Hooper and Darren England and Dan Cook in the VAR room.

Luis Díaz thought he had put the visitors ahead on 33 minutes only for his effort to be ruled offside. The Colombian was played onside by Cristian Romero when Salah released the ball but no lines were drawn in the VAR room. Instead, Darren England told Hooper “check complete” which the ref interpreted as confirmation of the offside check shown on the stadium’s video screen. Díaz’s goal, which was perfectly legal, was chalked off. Understandably, Klopp was nonplussed about the decision when he spoke after the game although he reasoned that it was down to human error and not done deliberately.

Klopp: “We are not a dirty team, we try to play football”

The Liverpool manager accepted both of the red cards issued to Curtis Jones and Diogo Joto while claiming both could be classified as ‘borderline’. But on the subject of bookings, he feels that in general, referees have been overzealous with his players this season. Klopp argued that his Liverpool side “is not, and has never been a dirty team” and pointed out that it is rare for any team to end up on nine men in the Premier League.

In history, there was only been six occasions when Liverpool have been forced to play with nine men after having two players sent off. The last time two Liverpool players were sent off in the same match was September 2011 when Charlie Adam and Martin Skrtel were given their marching orders - away at Spurs.

Liverpool’s disciplinary record in 2023/24

In the seven Premier League games played so far, the Reds have had four players sent off with a total of 15 bookings - Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold (2), Andy Robertson, Ibrahima Konaté, Virgil van Dijk, Alexis Mac Allister (3), Harvey Elliott, Stefan Bajcetic, Wataru Endo, Darwin Núñez, Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota.

Liverpool will have been well aware that they faced disciplinary action - as will the players. Any team that receives six or more yellow cards in one single match will be hit with a £25,000 fine. Meanwhile players who are sent off for two bookable offences are served a £20 fine and a one-match suspension.

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In the case of Curtis Jones, who was sent off with a straight red for serious foul play, he faces a three-match ban and a £40 fine. Virgil van Dijk, sent off in Week 3 against Newcastle “acted in an improper manner and used abusive/insulting words towards a match official” was hit with a one-match ban and £100,000 fine. Alexis Mac Allister meanwhile was dismissed in the game against Bournemouth but saw his suspension immediately removed after an appeal.

Forest treading a fine line

Today, the FA fined the club £25,000 fine for ill-discipline. Liverpool however, are not the only club to have been fined for accumulation of bookings and nor do they have the worst disciplinary figures in the top flight. That dubious honour goes to Nottingham Forest with 22 yellow cards and two red cards in just seven outings. Forest also face being slapped with an ill-discipline fine for having seven players booked in the 2-0 defeat at Man City on 23 September. As did Brighton and Wolves, who had six cards dished out each when they met at Molineux in Week 2.

Then there’s Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson, the first player to be suspended for completing a cycle of five bookings - after just six games. He will sit out tonight’s game against Fulham.