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VAR ERROR: FORMER PGMOL CHIEF SAYS HWANG HEE-CHAN TACKLE ON LEWIS-SKELLY WAS RED CARD

Former PGMOL boss Keith Hackett claims Hwang Hee-Chan should have been sent off for a studs-up challenge on Myles Lewis-Skelly in Wolves' loss to Arsenal.

VAR Error: Former PGMOL Chief Says Hwang Hee-Chan Tackle on Lewis-Skelly Was Red Card
Wolves Star Hwang Should Have Seen a Red Card vs Arsenal

According to Keith Hackett, a former PGMOL chief and FIFA referee, Rob Edwards’ team was very lucky not to have a player sent off in their 2-1 loss to Arsenal this past Saturday.

Hackett told Football Insider that Hwang Hee-Chan should have been shown a red card after his challenge on Myles Lewis-Skelly on December 13.

Wolves are likely to be relegated from the Premier League this season. Their situation got worse when Yerson Mosquera scored an own goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

Edwards’ team managed to keep Viktor Gyokeres quiet, but two own goals meant they left North London empty-handed. It could easily have been a bigger defeat, too.

Hwang Hee-Chan stays on the pitch against Arsenal

In the 60th minute, Hwang went in for a challenge on Lewis-Skelly with his studs showing. VAR looked at it to see if it was a red card offense, but the ref wasn't asked to review it on the monitor.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former ref said, When you watch that challenge, there’s no question this player used excessive force [which warrants a red card].

“He goes into the challenge fast with a straight leg, studs showing, and even though it's low, it still puts his opponent in danger. The player's feet were off the ground, so he couldn't stop or change direction.

“I'm sure the excuse will be that ‘we stuck with yellow because the challenge was low down,’ but I think there was some intent in the challenge. It should have been red.”

Wolves get closer to Premier League relegation.

Burnley, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, and Leeds United are also struggling to stay up, alongside Wolves. Their chances of staying in the league seem to be fading fast.

There was a glimmer of hope when Tolo Arokodare scored his first Premier League goal in the 90th minute. But that hope was destroyed four minutes later when Mosquera headed the ball into his own net.

Edwards can take some positives from the game. They matched the league leaders for most of the match. Still, they are at the bottom of the table with only two points from 16 games.

They are running out of time to get some points.

CONOR GALLAGHER CONFIRMED AS "VITAL" STARTER FOR SPURS FOLLOWING BENTANCUR’S INJURY LAYOFF

Conor Gallagher proved the doubters wrong against Man City. Discover why his €40m move to Tottenham is finally paying off for Spurs.

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Conor Gallagher secured first Spurs assist as Tottenham snatched a point at City

Chelsea and Atletico Madrid both decided Conor Gallagher wasn’t worth the trouble. At Chelsea, he had his moments—Pochettino liked him, but the fans never really warmed up. When Chelsea shipped him off to Atletico, it made sense. Enzo Fernandez stepped up, took over Gallagher’s role, and fit in perfectly next to Caicedo, with Cole Palmer adding that extra spark up front.

Things didn’t get much better for Gallagher in Spain. He barely got a chance at Atleti, lost his spot in the starting eleven, and pretty much ended up on the transfer list before anyone had time to blink. Interest was lukewarm at best until the winter window rolled around. Aston Villa wanted him and went after him pretty aggressively, but then Tottenham swooped in late. Spurs needed someone to patch up the midfield after Bentancur’s injury, so they just paid up—40 million euros, no hesitation.

His start at Tottenham? Rough. Honestly, that was to be expected. He’d played well at Palace before, but after his struggles at Atleti, he needed time to adjust. Sitting on the bench in Spain didn’t do him any favours.

Then Gallagher showed up. People doubted whether he could really add creativity and move the ball forward for Spurs, so his early struggles got people worried. But then came the 2-2 draw against Manchester City. He suddenly looked like the player both Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank were so desperate to sign.

Against City, Gallagher flipped the script. He set up a crucial assist, drove play forward on the dribble, and kept drawing fouls—everything the Spurs needed. Defensively, he was all over the place in a good way: two tackles, three interceptions, a full 90 minutes, and a huge part of the Spurs clawing their way back into the game.

Tottenham fans loved it. They saw the effort, the attitude, and the hunger to win. Gallagher just wouldn’t quit, and in that second half, he, Xavi Simons, Pape Matar Sarr, Destiny Udogie, and Dominic Solanke ran the show. Four of those guys have been carrying Spurs lately, so Gallagher is fitting right in with them. That’s a pretty good sign he’s going to work out just fine in North London.

AC MILAN MEDICAL FAILURE: THE HIDDEN KNEE INJURY THAT CRUSHED MATETA’S £30M MOVE

Jean-Philippe Mateta's £30m move to AC Milan is OFF. Discover why a failed medical has put his France World Cup dreams in jeopardy.

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Mateta’s "dream move" suddenly turned toxic.

Jean Philippe-Mateta’s got a real headache right now. The Crystal Palace striker just watched his £30 million dream move to AC Milan blow up at the last minute, all because a knee problem showed up during his medical.

The thing is, Mateta’s been carrying this injury for a while. Now he’s stuck: should he go under the knife and try to recover in time for the World Cup? He wants to make the France squad this summer, but nothing’s guaranteed. Even if he has surgery, there’s no telling if he’ll be fit enough—or have enough time on the pitch—to convince Didier Deschamps he deserves a spot.

The injury’s been dragging him down anyway. It’s messing with his form and his game time, and he’s worried he won’t get a real shot at proving himself for France if he isn’t at his best.

It’s tough because he’s coming off a fantastic year at Palace. FA Cup winner, big goals, helped the club reach Europe—it’s been a dream run. But now he might have to go back to Selhurst Park, even though he’s made it clear he’s had enough and wants out.

Honestly, it feels like only a matter of time before he leaves. His contract runs out next summer, and Palace can’t risk losing him for nothing. They’ve already watched Marc Guehi go to Man City for a bargain, just because his deal was running down.

Now Mateta has to sit down with Palace and the doctors to figure out what to do about his knee. Surgery would sideline him for months, probably killing his World Cup chances.

He’s gutted about Milan falling through, especially after Juventus cooled their interest and Nottingham Forest had an offer turned down. Over the weekend, he even unfollowed Palace on Instagram and posted a fed-up emoji. No one really knows if he’ll even make the squad for the Brighton game.

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