Tarkowski produced a dangerous tackle on Alexis Mac Allister that was only punished with a yellow card despite it being reckless. He did apologise to the Argentina midfielder after the game.
The Premier Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) subsequently admitted that VAR should have recommended an upgrade to a sending off and Howard Webb, the head of the referring organisation, admitted the error to Liverpool on Thursday.
However, that has not stopped the vile abuse of Tarkowski and his family, with his wife posting on Instagram that they had received, among other things, death threats. The club issued a statement “strongly condemning” the abuse.
“Everton Football Club is aware of threats made towards James Tarkowski, and his family on social media,” it read. “Such behaviour is completely unacceptable and has no place in football or society.
“The club is liaising with James and his wife Samantha, and stands ready to engage with the social media companies and assist the police with any potential investigation. Everton strongly condemns any form of online or offline intimidation, threats or abuse directed at players, staff, or their families.”
Moyes, the Everton manager, also decried the abuse. “It’s not acceptable for anybody in any walk of life,” he said.
“We have to hold our hands up and, after looking at it again, I believe it could have been a sending-off but I don’t think that means that you get abused online because of that.
“It’s part of football. He made, which looked at the time I thought, a really good tackle, but looking at it again, I think it was a bit reckless.
“I don’t feel as if I need to do social media and I’ve not really got a great interest in it but I think life for the younger ones it is certainly part of that.
“But I don’t think that means that it’s right and I think that everyone should be absolutely condemning anything of that sort of stuff.”
Samantha Tarkowski detailed the level of abuse aimed at her husband in an Instagram message and the potential effect it could have on them as a family.
“The level of abuse my husband is receiving — wishing death on him, vile comments about me, about us as a couple, and about him as a person — is beyond disgusting,” she wrote.
“People forget that he is more than just a footballer. He is a husband, a son, a brother, a friend, and most importantly, the father of our two children.
“Football is a sport, but the way some so-called ‘fans’ behave is disgraceful. The abuse, the threats — it’s not passion, it’s pathetic. We’re real people and this goes far beyond football.”
‘Arteta’s done unbelievably well’
Everton host Arsenal on Saturday and could do their neighbours a favour in the title race by taking points off the second-placed team that are 12 points behind Liverpool.
The match at Goodison Park will also see Moyes reunited with Mikel Arteta, whom he signed during his first spell at Everton in 2005, and the Scot said he was pleased to see his former player doing well as a coach.
“I’m thrilled for Mikel because he’s one of our ex-players and think any manager is always quite pleased when you see their players go on to have careers in management or coaching,” Moyes said.
“I think Mikel’s done unbelievably well. He’s probably worked under arguably the best manager in the world since Sir Alex [Ferguson] in Pep [Guardiola], which has given him a great chance to see other things as well.”
