Leeds United’s FA Cup journey came to an end in the semi-finals at Wembley on Sunday, as they fell to a 1-0 loss to Chelsea at the national stadium – but the game has been shrouded in controversy after an incident involving star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin that has left Manchester United fans incensed.
Midway through the first half, just moments after Enzo Fernandez had scored what proved to be the winner for the Blues, Calvert-Lewin and Marc Cucurella went up for an aerial duel. It seemed as though the former Everton talisman had pulled Cucurella’s hair, which in recent months, has seen red cards brandished.
Michael Keane was sent off for Everton in February for pulling the same move on Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Tolu Arokodare, whilst Red Devils defender Lisandro Martinez was given his marching orders earlier this month for doing the same – incidentally, on Calvert-Lewin.
Graham Scott Issues Verdict on Dominic Calvert-Lewin Incident
Calvert-Lewin did grab the Spaniard’s long locks, but seemed to pull away at the last moment before the former Brighton star went down, with the left-back clearly keen to show the match officials that Calvert-Lewin had committed the same offence that saw Martinez sent off just 13 days ago.
However, he escaped punishment, which led to online beratement from United fans. Yet speaking to The Athletic, former match official Graham Scott aimed to pour water on the situation escalating by noting the difference between the two incidents.
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It’s an issue that is becoming quite the epidemic in the modern English game at present…
Scott, who was a Premier League referee for a decade, weighed in by stating that Calvert-Lewin’s contact was simply less than Martinez’s. He wrote: “The last thing video assistant referee Paul Howard would have wanted was a hair-pulling incident.
“After several similar situations in the Premier League this season, the refereeing body Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) has been clinging to its position that all such acts must be sanctioned with a red card, in the interests of consistency.
“But this one? Really? The FA Commission that adjudicated on Manchester United’s appeal against Martinez’s sending off for briefly tugging Calvert-Lewin’s hair in an aerial duel supported the decision to send him off.
“Calvert-Lewin’s contact on Cucurella was even more fleeting and surely fell short of the level of contact required for a red card. But Manchester United will undoubtedly see enough similarities to ask questions of PGMO, and they have my sympathy.
“I would rather leave referees to determine whether an act of hair-pulling is sufficient to require a red card, a caution, or even be put down as accidental contact that is part of the game. In other words, to let them use common sense. But sadly, I cannot see that happening.”
With three major hair-pulling incidents in the upper echelons of English football in the space of three months, there will be more cracking down on such scenarios in the near future.
Calvert-Lewin’s incidents may spark a change in the rulebook, but a close eye will be kept on any more developing scenarios – particularly as the season draws into its business end.
