Sven Botman Should Have Been Sent Off, Say Gallagher and Bothroyd

• Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher says Newcastle defender Sven Botman should have been sent off for a challenge on Aston Villa’s Nicolas Jackson.
• VAR reviewed the tackle for serious foul play but left Botman’s yellow card in place, and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp said: “If VAR can’t see that’s a red, we’re in trouble.”
• Jackson said he “nearly broke my leg” as Villa won 1-0 at St James’ Park through a Johan Manzambi header.

Two Bookings in the Same Move and a VAR Check That Changed Nothing

Dermot Gallagher did not hedge when Sky Sports put the Sven Botman tackle in front of him on Monday’s Ref Watch. “I think it’s a red card,” the former referee said of the challenge on Aston Villa forward Nicolas Jackson at St James’ Park on Saturday.

In the 18th minute of Newcastle’s home game with Villa, referee Jarred Gillett booked Botman for the foul on Jackson. He booked Joelinton in the same passage of play for a separate hefty challenge. VAR then looked at Botman’s foul for serious foul play. By the 20th minute the officials had decided there was no clear and obvious error, and Botman stayed on the pitch.

Villa won the game 1-0. Johan Manzambi headed the only goal in the 36th minute, against the club he had agreed a deal to join in the summer before Villa made a late bid.

What the Sky Sports Panel Said

Gallagher pointed to the speed and intensity of the challenge. “It’s got everything for a red card tackle,” he said. He also argued the referee had the chance to stop the second incident from happening at all. “The Joelinton tackle is a yellow card and he gets one quite rightly,” Gallagher said. “But if you penalise that, hit the whistle and yellow card, the second one doesn’t happen.”

Jay Bothroyd, the former striker, said both challenges came out of frustration at how well Villa were playing. He went further than Gallagher on the severity, calling Botman’s tackle “more violent conduct than a headbutt”. That was a pointed comparison on a weekend when Brentford’s Yehor Yarmoliuk was sent off against Liverpool for a headbutting action.

Redknapp had already given his view at half-time on Saturday. He called the challenge “so dangerous” and said he wants to see “50/50 tackles”, but “you can’t do that anymore.”

Jackson: Hopefully Next Time It Is a Red

Jackson spoke to Sky Sports after the final whistle and said the referee told him it was a yellow card but “it was so high”. “Hopefully next time it is a red card,” he said. “I nearly broke my leg, but it’s fine. It’s part of football.”

Newcastle boss Matthias Jaissle took a different view of the same moment. “It was really fast,” he told Sky Sports. “The decision-making was clear from the referee.” He pointed out that the officials had checked the foul.

A Bad Night for Newcastle Gets Worse

The decision is one part of a difficult evening for the home side. Newcastle ended the first half without a shot on target and were booed at half-time and again at full-time as their stuttering start under Jaissle continued. Their only shot on target in the whole game came after the break, when Botman himself drove a strike at goal that Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki pushed away with his fingertips.

The defeat also set a new club record. Newcastle have now gone 16 successive home games in all competitions without a clean sheet. Villa kept one, and captain Tyrone Mings called it “a perfect away Premier League performance”.

Jaissle said his side were dominating and could not find the goal. “We had many situations where you saw that we were going to win that game and then we conceded a goal,” he said. The result leaves Newcastle level on eight points with Villa, who sit one place behind them.

A Decision the Panel Wants Reviewed

The Botman call is one of several refereeing rows from the weekend that Ref Watch worked through, from the Chelsea tackles at Everton to the Brentford red card against Liverpool. Gallagher, Bothroyd and Redknapp all landed on the same side of this one. VAR exists to correct clear and obvious errors, and it looked at the tackle and left the referee’s yellow card alone.

Jackson’s own wish, that it is a red card next time, sums up where the players and pundits stand.