BBC and Amazon pundits react as Max Kilman escapes red card for Wolves at Everton
Max Kilman should have been sent off for Wolves for a foul on Everton midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye, according to Carlton Cole.
With the score level at 1-1 during the second half on Boxing Day the 25-year-old defender leapt into a challenge with the Toffees midfielder and caught him with a high boot in the face, but escaped with only a booking after a VAR review.
Jordan Pickford was furious, as were most of the Everton players, and BBC pundit Cole could see why, although Amazon co-commentator Michael Brown was less sure despite how dangerous the clash appeared.
Speaking on the Amazon Prime match commentary on Monday (26 December, 4.22) Brown said: “You can see it here, with the outside of his left foot it looks really, really bad in that position.
“But as he goes up he just sort of pulls it slightly down. I think if there was intent there you’d have seen him turn his foot but he doesn’t.”
However, on BBC Sport Final Score Cole was in no doubt, saying, as per the BBC Sport liveblog: “Kilman should know better. I’d say that’s a red card. He’s put a guy in danger with a high foot.”
Fine margins
On another day Kilman could have been sent off meaning the chances that Wolves would have surged forward on the 95th-minute break that ultimately won them the game 2-1 would have been much lower.
Everton may also have been able to break them down if they were facing 10 men for the final half an hour, and the complexion of the situation around the team and manager Frank Lampard would be very different now.
There was so much to be frustrated about on the day though that this decision almost got lost among the missed chances in the first half and the heartbreaking Rayan Ait-Nouri winner in added time.
A loss to the side who were bottom of the league coming into the game can’t be dressed up as a positive, and the manner in which the defeat came could hardly be more painful for the fans.
But Lampard will look to the fact that his team weren’t outplayed in the same way they were too often prior to the World Cup break, and if they actually had a finisher they could have been out of sight.
A lapse in concentration at a set piece and a charitable refereeing decision also helped keep a Wolves side who themselves were low on confidence in the game, and with Manchester City next this was undoubtedly a big opportunity missed.