‘For some reason…’ – Dermot Gallagher shares verdict on Pereira incident in WBA defeat
Dermot Gallagher has claimed it was “inevitable” that West Brom playmaker Matheus Pereira was going to be shown a red card against Crystal Palace.
The Brazilian was shown his marching orders with the scores level at the Hawthorns, and the Baggies went on to be thrashed 5-1.
Pereira kicked out at Patrick Van Aanholt after a foul from the Palace man, and despite making little contact, he was sent off.
Gallagher claimed on Ref Watch that as soon as Paul Tierney was going to the VAR system, it was only going to end in one way for Pereira.
“When I watched the game, I didn’t know what the officials were checking,” he said. “But when I saw the incident, and the referee goes to the screen, I knew it was going to be a red card.
“He’s doing it for some reason, and the reason isn’t balance or to get up off the floor. It is to push his boot towards an opponent, and on that basis, it is a red card. It’s inevitable.”
This isn’t the first time that Pereira has had a problem with his attitude and reactions since moving to the Hawthorns.
Slaven Bilic didn’t dispute the decision after the game, and although he admitted it was soft, he claimed that the South American gave the officials the chance to send him off.
That is exactly what he did. For all of Pereira’s magic, there are too many moments like this that creep into his game and if this continues to happen, it could cost the Baggies their spot in the Premier League.
In other West Brom news, Chris Lepkowski predicts ‘serious doubts’ over Bilic future
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