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Southampton v West Ham controversial moment emerges. Credit: Imago
Harri Burton
Thu 26 December 2024 17:40, UK
Tim Sherwood was relieved to see Guido Rodriguez’s red card rescinded following a VAR check as West Ham beat Southampton on Thursday.
Given the nod ahead of Edson Alvarez by Julen Lopetegui, the Argentine’s performance nearly came to an early end after going through Kyle Walker-Peters until Lewis Smith was sent to the pitch-side monitor.
Having seen limited contact, and the player slipping into the challenge, Rodriguez’s red card was reduced to just a caution, but even that seemed a little harsh at St Mary’s Stadium on 26 December.
Speaking live via Amazon Prime [26 December, 4:18pm], Sherwood said: “That’s never a red card. He just slips over – it’s absolute nonsense. Surely they’re going to overturn that? It has to be. It’s never a red card. He’s gone to look at it so it’s good use of VAR.
“Overruled – quite right. Fair play to the young referee. It was a little heat of the moment. The red is gone and he’s been given a yellow, which I think is still too harsh.”
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Rodriguez has picked up his fair share of cards since arriving at the London Stadium in the summer, having already been shown five yellows in 15 appearances.
However, his caution at St Mary’s Stadium was an extremely harsh decision, though it was made by a reasonably inexperienced official, and was rectified by VAR.
The technology is often criticised, not because of the technology itself but those in charge of it, but this was an instance of it being used correctly, and the referee clearly thought it still deserved a booking.
Guido Rodriguez
West Ham United midfielder Guido Rodriguez (Credit: Imago)
With Jarrod Bowen scoring the only goal in the 1-0 win, Lopetegui will be running back to East London after the Saints missed a handful of chances to equalise, and even score a winner.
A red card for Rodriguez in the 53rd minute could have changed the result completely and likely would have, and Lopetegui made the right decision to replace him for Aaron Creswell before he did anything stupid.
In other West Ham news, a Hammers gem likened to Declan Rice could seal a “much-needed” loan in January.
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