Eimear Ryan: Does intent – or lack of intent – matter in sport?

Fabinho’s response suggested that his tackle on Evan Ferguson was one of reckless stupidity rather than malice, but should that make a difference in the referee’s decision-making?

INTENT?: Liverpool midfielder Fabinho fouls Brighton's Irish striker Evan Ferguson during the English FA Cup fourth round match at the Amex stadium in Brighton. Pic: Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images

It’s been a tough time to be a Liverpool fan, or in my case, to be Liverpool fan-adjacent. The club’s woes continue unabated, with a 2-1 defeat to Brighton last weekend eliminating them from the FA Cup. Though it’s a pity for Liverpool fans not to have put up a sterner defence of last year’s title, you could say it’s still a slight improvement on their 3-0 defeat to the same opposition in the Premier League mid-January; at least they looked competitive here.

The Reds ran afoul of the Brighton supporters, and of Irish Twitter, however, when midfielder Fabinho landed a horrendous, studs-up tackle from behind on 18-year-old Evan Ferguson – a Meath native and a revelation for Brighton in recent months. Ferguson has shown spark and poise off the bench, scoring his first Premier League goal against Arsenal on New Year’s Eve, and becoming both Brighton and Ireland’s youngest Premier League goalscorer in the process. He has seemed to relish playing on the big stage, and is a hugely exciting prospect for Ireland, especially heading into Euro qualifiers in the coming months.