Former referee Mike Dean believes Morgan Rogers should have been sent off for a challenge on James Garner during Chelsea's 2-0 win over Everton. The Blues secured victory in Saturday's lunchtime Premier League kick-off thanks to a second-half brace from Pedro Neto, but the match was overshadowed by a sickening clash of heads that saw goalkeeper Emi Martinez stretchered off and taken to hospital.
Feisty Encounter and Seven Yellow Cards
Although the collision with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite was totally accidental as Martinez rushed out of his goal to punch clear a free-kick delivery, the match was a feisty affair featuring seven yellow cards, five of which came in a combative first half. One of the biggest flashpoints occurred two minutes before the break when England team-mates Rogers and Garner both flew into a 50/50 challenge that left each of them hurt.
Dean's Verdict on the Challenge
Rogers was already on a yellow card after an earlier clash with James Tarkowski but received no further punishment, with Garner also escaping reprimand by referee Paul Tierney. Everton fans and Garner himself were furious at the decision and booed the officials off at the interval, also aggrieved over a caution shown to Harrison Armstrong for a tackle on Josh Acheampong they felt was fair.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Dean said: "I think it's a minimum yellow. I called red straight away. When you see the angle we've seen now, he doesn't get the ball, Rogers. He might've just flicked it, but he catches him with his stud just on the inside of Garner's knee. I think it's a straight red me, I really do. I just think it's not a good tackle at all."
Moyes Also Questions Decisions
Everton boss David Moyes also felt Rogers, who went on to play a key role in Chelsea's first goal, could have been sent off as he railed against the yellow card shown to Armstrong. "We have got referees who we want to be the best in Europe because they let things go but I thought it looked a half-decent tackle (by Armstrong)," he said. "Someone might tell me different. I wasn't sure it was the right decision. I was disappointed with the decision at the time. I've had a wee look at the Morgan Rogers tackle on Jimmy which some might have said something different, which would have made it a second yellow and that wasn't the case."
