‘Horrible, Awful’ – Pundit appalled as Anis Mehmeti escapes ‘clear red card’ in West Brom incident
Anis Mehmeti should have been sent off for an “awful” clash with West Brom’s Callum Styles, according to Terry Gibson.
The Bristol City attacker opened the scoring in the 2-1 win at West Brom, as his early goal was controversially allowed to stand despite a player in an offside position apparently interfering.
Emil Riss Jakobsen stepped over the shot while beyond the last defender and it crept in the bottom corner with Joe Wildsmith rooted to the spot.
But to add injury to insult Mehmeti then stayed on the pitch despite elbowing Styles in the face 10 minutes later, with referee Will Finnie only belatedly showing a yellow card, before Ross McCrorie scored a second in the 22nd minute.
Ousmane Diakite would pull one back late on with his first for the club but the hole proved too deep to climb out of and West Brom were beaten again to increase pressure on Ryan Mason.
Mehmeti elbow leaves Styles with possible broken nose
In the 15th minute Adam Randall appeared to foul Karlan Grant in the midfield, but as Finnie played advantage with the loose ball bouncing towards Styles the West Brom midfielder was then clattered in the face by Mehmeti’s elbow.
Despite the protestations of a host of Baggies players led by Nat Phillips the referee, without VAR available, eventually showed a yellow card during a near-four-minute delay for treatment.
Styles eventually got up and had to change his bloodstained shirt, then surprisingly went onto finish the game, but Gibson reacting live on the Sky Sports commentary was shocked.
He said: “I think [Mehmeti’s] a very, very lucky player. It’s Callum Styles who gets clobbered…
“The referee has not made the call but it’s a clear red card isn’t it? The arm is out. It’s with force as well, and this does appear to be a dreadful injury. We saw Anis Mehmeti making his defence. I don’t think there is any. VAR or not the referee has to see that.
“I think the referee had a little moment of hesitancy, he was focusing on this [Randall] challenge, tries to allow the advantage, and then when he sees the second challenge his first thought in his mind is ‘there isn’t an advantage, I’ll give the free kick’. But that is a horrible challenge.
“That is terrible. I hope Callum Styles is going to be ok. It looks doubtful at the moment.”
When Mehmeti was then belatedly booked he said: “The fact he’s got a yellow card suggests the referee did see it and didn’t see fit for it to be more than a booking.”
To the suggestion that the referee hadn’t seen it but just assumed it must be bad enough for yellow due to the aftermath Gibson added: “Exactly and that’s why I think confusion over the referee thinking ‘that’s a foul, or handball, it could have been either’ [on the first incident] ‘I’ll let play continue and see if there’s an advantage’. But then when the play broke down how much was he focusing on [that]?
“It then seems strange that the yellow card is given. This does look awful.”
As Styles eventually was helped to the touchline Gibson said: “Probably has to change his top because of the blood. He probably wishes at the moment he could change his nose, because that does appear possibly broken I would imagine, having taken that elbow full in the face, straight on the nose. He looked dazed didn’t he, to say the least, when he was down initially.”
Ryan Mason in danger after dismal Boxing Day
It was absolutely not a very Merry Christmas for Baggies fans or Mason after losing at The Hawthorns for a first home defeat since 13 September.
The Albion boss can have plenty of cause for complaint after his side’s miserable luck on the day as there appeared to be a clear argument to rule out the fourth-minute opener which put his side on the back foot almost immediately.
VAR causes endless outrage at the best of times but without the video technology in the Championship West Brom came out on the wrong side of the decisions badly on Boxing Day.
- Nightmare West Brom start
- Fourth minute – Mehmeti scores, no offside decision
- 15th minute – Styles elbowed, Mehmeti eventually booked during four-minute delay
- 22nd minute – McCrorie doubles the lead
Whether Mehmeti meant to smash Styles in the face with his elbow or not only he will know, but even if it was a complete accident it was dangerous and he should have been sent off.
Given how Styles went down after an obvious blow to the head it was surprising that he wasn’t replaced, but ultimately Mehmeti came away with a goal and a yellow card when he probably should have seen red early and gone goalless.
That West Brom fought back and could have even snatched a point when Grant hit the bar in the final minute of stoppage time suggests the home side would have got a positive result were it not for the rough decisions early, which will particularly sting for Mason.
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