Keith Hackett, a former Premier League referee, has explained why Manchester City’s Rodri should have been sent off against Liverpool last weekend
The Spaniard had already been cautioned for a cynical foul after dragging the shirt off a Reds player, and shortly after that, he committed the same offense – only this time his actions went unpunished.
Pep Guardiola’s side won 4-1 on the day and simply outclassed us in the second half at the Etihad, but had the former Atletico Madrid man been sent off with the score at 1-1, the game could’ve gone very differently.
“I think he was extremely fortunate,” Hackett told Football Insider.
“Referees believe that the second yellow card should be more of an orange card.” That ought not to be the case.
“This was a foul, and Hooper gave a free kick.” It was a pullback, the hands were on the body – it’s a daily warning.
“Some might say that’s harsh, but not for me.
“If he hadn’t been on a booking, he would have received a yellow card.” It is required by law.
“He should have gone, there’s no doubt about it.”
Former Premier League referee Dermott Gallagher recently weighed in on the incident, claiming that referee Simon Hooper made the correct decision.
There is definitely room for improvement in the Premier League’s officiating standards, and even with VAR in place, we are still seeing some questionable decisions.
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