Just take the booking and leave the ref with a headache. With only a few games left what difference would a booking make?
This idea that Gakpo kicking it into the next would've put the ref in a position where he had to explain himself is a beautiful pipe dream. They haven't bothered explaining themselves in any meaningful way all season. Why would it start now? Suddenly, Gakpo kicking it into the net is supposed to leave the ref in a difficult position? Want to see the position Gakpo scoring would put the ref in?
Gakpo scores. Gets a yellow.
Anthony Taylor: I clearly blew the whistle; I gave him a yellow for time-wasting.
Media would spend their coverage on this incident by highlighting the fact that Taylor did indeed blow the whistle and that Gakpo kicked the ball after the whistle. Yellow card justified. If anyone thinks this would've gotten anyone to talk about anything that led up to that moment, I don't know what to tell you, because that is never, ever going to happen, especially if Liverpool are the ones getting shafted for it.