Issa Diop escaped what Oliver Glasner called "a clear red card" during Ipswich's 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest - but the incident split opinion, so was it the right call or not? With less than five minutes of the second half played when Diop slid in on Forest's James McAtee, a sending off could have transformed the outcome of the game. Glasner was adamant Diop had denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
But Diop himself told Sky Sports he was "quite confident" he would stay on the field as the officials and VAR came to their decision. There was also split opinion among the Sky Sports pundits, too. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player On co-commentary, Lee Hendrie reckoned Diop was "really lucky" and criticised the reasoning from the referee.
Post-match, Ashley Young defended the decision. Here we break down the key moment - and ask you to have your say. Ipswich centre-back Diop slid in on McAtee, missing the ball and making contact with the Forest player as he tried to break through on goal.
Ref Thomas Bramall didn't blow his whistle but was then advised by VAR to go to the pitchside monitor to review the incident "for a possible denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity". After watching replays, ref Bramall announced it was a foul and then said: "However, because the player knocks it to the right side of the goal, the final decision is direct free-kick and a yellow card to No.6." In his announcement, Bramall indicates that McAtee's touch before he is fouled by Diop means the situation cannot be deemed as an "obvious goal-scoring opportunity". McAtee touches the ball forwards.
That takes the ball into the box and slightly to the right. Significantly to the right? "I do not think he has touched it away from goal at all," said Hendrie on Sky Sports commentary.
Glasner later argued that moving the ball to the right would have increased the possibility for McAtee to score. "When you run against the keeper and you run straight, often the angle is not really good, so we are telling the players to sometimes create an angle and I think he prepared his finish by going a little bit half-right, so the keeper has to move and opens the near or far post." But it seems there were other factors on Bramall's mind, too. Soon after the incident, the Premier League Match Centre posted an explanation on social media of what had happened, including both the on-field announcement from Bramall but also a sentence he said during the decision-making process.
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