Wolves’ Hwang Hee-chan only avoided a red card against Arsenal due to the low point of contact, according to a former referee.
Wolves midfielder Hwang Hee-chan committed a reckless foul on Myles Lewis-Skelly during Saturday’s match against Arsenal, leading to a free-kick and a yellow card from referee Rob Jones.
But there was a question over whether the challenge actually constituted serious foul play and a potential red, and the game was paused so the incident could be reviewed by VAR John Brooks.
Ultimately, Brooks opted to side with the referee and uphold his decision, a call former referee Andy Davies believes was just about the correct one.
“Hwang did overrun the ball and was, to a degree, out of control, while he did make contact with his opponent at speed,” Davies pointed out to ESPN.
“The initial challenge looked a poor one in real time, however, it is the role of the VAR to remove all emotion and operate only with the facts and pictures presented.
“Hwang can consider himself fortunate that his reckless challenge was at a low point of contact, which is the only thing that saved him.
“The VAR was correct to not intervene in this event, and the process he employed highlighted a high level of application in his role.”
Davies did have one criticism of referee Jones though, pointing out that the official’s body shape and positioning wasn’t ideal, as he was pivoting on the spot as the incident occurred. That meant he didn’t view the contact in full, which left him relying on his assistants and VAR.
Hwang’s challenge was certainly a borderline one, and it seems likely a red card would have been upheld if shown. But as always, a VAR overturn requires clear and obvious evidence of an error, and Brooks didn’t believe such evidence existed.