Idrissa Gueye lucky as Keith Hackett speaks out on ‘reckless’ Everton vs Bournemouth controversy
Everton’s clash with Bournemouth was not without controversy on Tuesday.
Everton were looking to continue the momentum from the 2-1 win over Fulham last time out at Hill Dickinson Stadium on 10 February.
They did just that with an Iliman Ndiaye penalty, the difference between the sides at the break, after Jarrad Branthwaite had been fouled in the penalty area.
However, that was not the only incident that was subject to debate in the contest, as there were plenty of flashpoints on Merseyside, with one including Idrissa Gueye.
What did Idrissa Gueye do in Everton vs Bournemouth
Gueye caught Evanilson with a stray arm in the early stages, but was not cautioned by referee Andy Madley.
Keith Hackett, the former PGMOL chief, disagreed with that decision and believes that the Blues star should have been cautioned for the contact.
| Stats | Gueye |
| Matches | 16 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Tackles | 33 |
Speaking exclusively to Goodison News, he said: “That’s not a natural action, and the player is lucky to escape a sanction.
“At a minimum, a yellow card for a reckless act.”
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Why Bournemouth can’t be too angry with Gueye incident
Ultimately, the Cherries cannot be too aggrieved despite Hackett’s view, as it was in the opening part of the game, and it was not intentional.
It was a scrappy game, and Madley did a good job with letting it flow and not taking too much action for things that were not worthy of that.
It would have been harsh to award a booking for the Senegal star, especially so early in the contest, and would have put him in a compromising position.
| Stats | Gueye |
| Yellow cards | 1 |
| Red cards | 1 |
David Moyes will be glad that Gueye did not pick up a card as he is a key part of his midfield, and if he was already cautioned, he would have to be careful with his challenges.
The Blues look on the way to their first home win in two months, if they can keep Andoni Iraola’s side from scoring in the second half, and hold onto the result and take all three points.
It would be a huge result for the Scotsman and his side, given that they are chasing the European qualification spots as the campaign approaches the business end, with so much competition for those places.