Joao Pedro should have been sent off for Brighton during their win over Ipswich following a challenge on opposition goalkeeper Christian Walton, Keith Hackett has said.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that the attacker knew exactly what he was doing when he collided with Walton in Thursday night’s (16 January) game.
Fabien Hurzeler’s side ended an eight-game winless run in the Premier League with a 2-0 win over the Tractor Boys at Portman Road.
The first of those goals through Karou Mitoma 59 minutes in, but Hackett believes Brighton should have been given a man disadvantage moments before that, following Pedro’s challenge.
With 54 minutes on the clock, Pedro had been chasing a loose ball into the Ipswich penalty area, only to see Walton get there well before him, and clear it away.
Despite that, the Brighton attacker kept on running at speed, and leading with his shoulder, collided with Walton – who was playing against his former club – to leave the goalkeeper on the ground seemingly in need of treatment.
Referee Tony Harrington then elected to show Pedro a yellow card for the challenge, with VAR confirming that decision rather than suggesting a review.
Hackett though believes that the attacker should have been dismissed for the offence, and that the officials will be spoken to about their decision not to award one.
When asked by Football Insider if the Brighton man should have been sent off for his challenge on Walton, the former referee said:
“This is a nailed on red card for Serious Foul Play. He knows exactly what he is doing. This is a challenge with excessive force that endangers the safety of the goalkeeper.
“Referees should not await the outcome to see if the goalkeeper has s injured or not. Totally unacceptable and I would suggest that the Referee and VAR require some operational advice.
“Here is the law: Serious foul play:
“A tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force or brutality must be sanctioned as serious foul play.
“Any player who lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force or endangers the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious foul play.”
Following that win, Brighton are now ninth in the Premier League, four points adrift of a European place as things stand.
For their part, Ipswich are now 18th in the Premier League, having dropped into the relegation zone by virtue of goals scored following that defeat to the Seagulls.
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