A double game week means double the decisions and double the controversy. This week we will focus on the top four race and some of the decisions in games featuring those in the race.
The incident: Daniel James catches Mateo Kovačić with a horrible challenge and is sent off.
This is one of the worst challenges I have seen this season and James was rightfully sent off. He was way above the ankle, he could have seriously injured Kovačić, who soon came off. It was clearly a dangerous and excessively forceful challenge.
Interestingly, before these last few games, Leeds had only one red card which came very early in the season for Pascal Struijk, despite racking up yellow cards at an astonishing rate. Ayling and James have now taken Leads’ red card tally to 3 only behind fellow strugglers Everton (4).
The incident: Rob Holding blocks Son Heung Min’s run and received a second yellow
Holding deserved that yellow and frankly, it could have been a red. He blocks Son nowhere near the ball and his elbow is pretty high. This is at the very least reckless if not excessively forceful. So, a yellow was the minimum.
Holding could have no complaints and with his team already behind it was a very reckless challenge to make. Considering the result, this red card could be key in deciding who plays Champions League football and the referee got it spot on.