Aston Villa managed to claim bragging rights with a 3-0 win at West Midlands rivals West Brom yesterday. But some Villa fans thought their side enjoyed some luck along the way.
Jake Livermore was sent off for West Brom in the first half for serious foul play. However, some Villa fans thought they were “lucky” not to have defender Kortney Hause sent off for a similar challenge.
Livermore was sent off in the 37th minute for a challenge on Jack Grealish. Referee Martin Atkinson reviewed the incident via VAR before upgrading his initial yellow to red.
Moments later, Hause was fortunate to escape similar punishment for a high challenge on Grady Diangana.
Hause of fortune?
Some Villa fans thought their defender had ridden his luck with the challenge on Diangana:
However, they were impressed by his overall display.
Following his first game in charge of West Brom, Sam Allardyce questioned the consistency of refereeing decisions. He insisted Atkinson should have at least referred to the pitch-side monitor following Kortney Hause’s challenge.
‘Clumsy challenge’
However, Micah Richards and Dion Dublin, speaking as pundits on BBC’s Match Of The Day 2 suggested Hause’s yellow card was sufficient.
Richards said: “I didn’t think it was a red card if I’m being totally honest. It wasn’t excessive force. It was a clumsy challenge – it happens in football.
“We’re seeing this in slow motion and that makes it look way worse so I think the yellow card was the right decision.”
‘Sam is right’
Dublin, however, thought Atkinson should have been advised to review the challenge.
He said: “I think you have to send him to the screen – you’ve got to. For (consistency) and clarity.
“I think the referee would probably appreciate if they said: ‘You’re probably right with the yellow but have another look just in case.’ I think Sam is right.”
Some fans on Twitter agreed with ‘Big Sam’ and Dublin:
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