If it had happened at Birmingham, Anthony Gordon wouldn’t even have been spoken to | OneFootball

On Sunday it felt like a case of Deja Vu, Anthony Gordon red carded for a stupid palm out scuff at an opposition defender.

Two years ago, me and my son watched Nick Pope get sent off against Liverpool.

Nick Pope then missed the League Cup final due to the one match ban that followed.

With Anthony Gordon on Sunday, the referee could not wait to show the red card, taking great pleasure in being centre stage.

What a sad individual, revelling in the drama of the moment and not doing what all good referees would do. Wait, gather thoughts and consider the situation.

The whistle had gone, so the incident was irrelevant to the game.

OK, a yellow card for aggressive behaviour, but a red card for an extreme push? Which was a reaction to a defender who had been physically battling with our man.

What do you expect under those circumstances?

Anthony Gordon has taken flak in the media for his reaction but for me it is unjustified.

In the fourth round of the FA Cup with no VAR, Newcastle United played Birmingham City.

The tackles were eye watering and if VAR was in place, there would have been half a dozen red cards.

In my opinion, the game was great, like a throwback to the eighties, with no player questioning the referee, just getting up and getting on with it.

Gordon’s aggression was insignificant compared to the violence that the Birmingham players dished out.

If the Anthony Gordon misdemeanour had occurred in the Birmingham match, I doubt the referee would even have spoken to him, would probably have told the Brighton defender to get up and stop the play acting.

The difference between the two games was massive but should it have been?

I hate the diving and play acting (cheating, to give it it’s real name) that is now part of the game.

So, as we sat and watched the Welbeck goal and then the Brighton celebrations at the final whistle, my lad puts on his optimistic hat and says “Dad, are we getting tickets for West Ham?”