Michael Dawson insists Hakim Ziyech is VERY lucky to see his red card overturned by VAR
Michael Dawson believes Hakim Ziyech was ‘very lucky’ to not be sent off against Tottenham as Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink insisted the referee made the right call.
The Morocco international had a red card overturned during a chaotic end to the first half in north London.
He brought down Richarlison through a cynical foul and the Tottenham forward reacted angrily by pushing Ziyech.
A melee followed seconds later, with Emerson Royal and Kai Havertz both getting booked by referee Stuart Attwell as a result.
Ziyech appeared to shove Royal in the face during the chaos, and after having a word with his assistant, Attwell showed the Ziyech a red. A VAR check followed and the red was turned to a yellow instead instead.
Former Tottenham defender Dawson told Sky Sports: ‘Very lucky, Atwell looks like he’s got control of it, and I think the end decision is the right one.’
Floyd-Hasselbaink mirrored those views as he insisted Ziyech’s intention was not to make contact with Emerson’s shoulde and not his face.
‘Well done to the referee for returning it from red to yellow. I think it’s the right decision’, the former Blues striker said.
‘I think he has tried to push his shoulder but caught him in the face. He is a little bit lucky though, another referee might not have changed it.’
Ziyech was eventually brought off the pitch by Graham Potter as Mason Mount came on to take his place shortly after the hour mark.
Tottenham took the lead just a minute into the second-half through Oliver Skipp’s powerful strike before Harry Kane’s header put Antonio Conte’s side 2-0 up.
