Premier League delete Arne Slot statement ahead of Liverpool v Newcastle United double header

The Dutchman was shown a red card by Michael Oliver following the full-time whistle at Goodison Park as James Tarkowski’s late equaliser rescued a point for Everton in the final ever Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park. Liverpool thought they had all three points sewn up after Mohamed Salah’s second half strike, but the Toffees grabbed a stunning late equaliser to ensure the Reds ended the day seven points, rather than nine, clear at the top of the table.

Tempers flared following the full-time whistle as Curtis Jones and Abdoulaye Doucoure were both shown second yellow cards and then a red card by Oliver after an altercation between the pair in-front of the travelling Liverpool fans. After those tensions had calmed, Slot went over to shake Oliver’s hand but was himself dismissed by the referee - one that will likely see him serve a touchline ban.

However, what punishment Slot will face is currently a mystery, with the Premier League deleting a statement revealing that Slot had been handed a two-game ban.

Premier League delete Arne Slot ban statement

On Thursday morning, the Premier League published a statement on the punishment that will be handed out to Slot for his red card against Everton, only to delete it moments later. The initial statement read: 'Liverpool head coach Arne Slot was dismissed at the end of the Merseyside derby for using offensive, insulting, or abusive language. He is handed a two-match touchline ban as a result.’

Arne Slot’s potential punishment

If Slot is handed a two-match touchline ban, then he will not be allowed into the dugout for Liverpool’s upcoming Premier League matches against Wolves and Aston Villa. The Reds face Manchester City following those two matches before hosting Newcastle United at Anfield on Wednesday 26 February.

The Magpies and Reds will then square-off again just two-and-a-half-weeks after that match in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on Sunday 16 March.

Slot has already served a one-match touchline ban this season having been shown three yellow cards. He was forced to watch his side’s Carabao Cup win over Southampton from the stands at that time.

The 46-year-old was also not permitted to speak to the media on Wednesday night as per Premier League rules which state: "Occupants of the technical area who have been dismissed are not allowed to take a seat in the stand, return to the field of play post-match, or conduct any post-match media."

Premier League to Carabao Cup suspensions

Whilst the Carabao Cup is an EFL competition, red card suspensions do carry over from the Premier League to that competition as Newcastle United discovered when Nick Pope was dismissed in their final Premier League match before their appearance in the 2023 Carabao Cup final. One quirk of the scheduling this time around means that if a player is shown a red card, and subsequently handed a three-game ban, when Newcastle and Liverpool face off in the league at the end of the month, then they will miss the Carabao Cup final with just two matches in between their meetings at Anfield and Wembley.

Your next Newcastle United read: £84m Newcastle United trio missing from official training ground update ahead of Man City clash