- Curtis Jones and Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucoure were dismissed after clashing
- Arne Slot says he will speak with the midfielder, but ‘liked’ what he saw
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Will Liverpool recover from Everton blow in season-defining week?
Liverpool boss Arne Slot has praised Curtis Jones after the midfielder was sent off in the Merseyside derby.
Jones and Everton‘s Abdoulaye Doucoure were dismissed after clashing at the end of a thrilling 2-2 draw on Wednesday night.
The Reds midfielder was incensed by Doucoure’s celebration in front of the away fans just minutes after the Toffees had rescued a point against their city rivals.
It was just two of four dismissals on the night with Slot shown a red after confronting Michael Oliver, while his assistant Sipke Hulshoff was also sent off.
The Liverpool boss says he will speak with Jones but admits he likes what the 24-year-old did to defend his team-mates.
‘The good thing is we have played so many games,’ Slot said. ‘He got a second yellow I assume so that’s only one game. Next Wednesday there is a game, he comes back from an injury so he already missed a few games.
Arne Slot has praised Curtis Jones after the was sent off in the Merseyside derby.
Jones confronted Abdoulaye Doucoure after the final whistle of the Reds’ draw with Everton
He will miss the clash with Wolves this weekend as he will serve a one-match suspension
‘I liked him a lot when he came on. It was our best part of the game, the only part of the game where I felt a bit of comfort and where it felt like a bit of control. That is maybe because we went 2-1 up.
‘I like a lot that he stands up for the team but I think there are also other ways to do that for the team and the fans. I will talk with him about that. But it is the same for me, I should have acted differently after the game as well.
‘But it is an emotional game and sometimes people make the wrong decisions in an emotional moment and that’s what I did.’
Liverpool were on the verge of securing a vital win in the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park after Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah cancelled out Beto’s early opener.
But, in the eighth minute of stoppage time, Toffees defender James Tarkowski fired home to trigger chaotic scenes that saw fans run onto the pitch in wild celebrations.
Jones will miss the clash with Wolves this weekend, meaning Liverpool are a man down on their usual four midfield options.
It means Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Mac Allister will almost certainly start, but Jones will be back for the midweek game against Aston Villa as he was shown two yellow cards rather than a straight red.