Ex-Premier League referee Mike Dean believes that Tony Harrington made the right call to send off Jack Stephens for pulling Marc Cucurella's hair during Southampton's clash with Chelsea.
Rock-bottom Saints were reduced to 10 men on Wednesday night while 3-1 down after Stephens decided to grab Cucurella's hair. The 30-year-old sent the former Brighton left-back to the turf and, although Harrington missed the incident on initial viewing, he was sent over to the pitch-side monitor before pulling the red card out of his pocket.
Delivering his verdict on the incident, Dean, who was involved in a similar incident in August 2022 when Cristian Romero appeared to pull Cucurella's hair when Chelsea drew 2-2 with London rivals Tottenham, admitted he felt Harrington came to the right decision - and Southampton's Stephens deserved to see red.
"Unfortunately, I was involved in one of these incidents about three years ago where I think someone had pulled Cucurella's hair, I didn't do it [send him off] but you've seen he clearly does it, he's going to be sent-off," Dean said.
"It's his second red card of the season, it has to be a sending off and it can't be anything else."
Ex-England footballer Sue Smith added: "He has been sent off, Tony Harrington has been sent to the [VAR] screen, and he only had a couple of looks at it, saw that Stephens had pulled his hair and it's a red card so it gets worse for Southampton, down to 10 men."
Meanwhile, Amazon's Prime Video commentator Stephen Warnock said of the incident: "Well he hasn't gone down for no reason. He's pulled his hair. Now, people will say that was minimal, but it doesn't matter. He's within his rights to go down - and to make the most of it."
Ian Darke, who was also on commentary duty for Amazon's Prime Video, continued: "Cucurella has made the most of it, hasn't he? Going down and staying down. But he has pulled his hair.
"It's going to be red, it's going to be red. Jack Stephens has gone and that you have to say, it's very silly."
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Premier League