adminFormer PGMOL chief Keith Hackett believes the Tottenham star was lucky to escape a red card for his early tackle on Chelsea’s Dario Essugo.
During Spurs’ thrilling 2-1 preseason win over Chelsea in Sydney, midfielder Conor Gallagher was fortunate not to be sent off, according to ex-FIFA referee and former PGMOL head Keith Hackett.
The flashpoint came just 11 minutes into the heated London derby, when Gallagher lunged into a heavy challenge on Chelsea’s Dario Essugo. Referee Alex King showed only a yellow card, but Hackett feels it could easily have been red.
Hackett’s Analysis
After reviewing the footage, Hackett said the tackle—though low in contact—still met the threshold for reckless and dangerous play.
He explained (via Yahoo Sport):
“That’s a borderline red card. He’s fortunate because the foot is low at impact, but it’s still a reckless action—so a yellow is fair. However, he’s fully off the ground, out of control, and using significant force.”
Hackett added that if the referee had shown a straight red, match officials would have backed the call given the danger of such out-of-control challenges.
Despite the early booking and a later red card for defender Kevin Danso (49th minute, for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity), Tottenham pulled off the win. Sandro Tonali opened the scoring, Estêvão equalized, and Richarlison netted a dramatic stoppage-time winner.
Gallagher’s intense display against his former club embodied the aggressive mentality head coach Roberto De Zerbi wants to embed in his team. While the tackle sparked debate, Spurs fans were pleased to see that battling spirit as the side builds momentum for the upcoming Premier League season.
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