How Crystal Palace man Will Hughes dodged Chelsea red card - Dermot Gallagher's controversial verdict

Crystal Palace midfielder Will Hughes was 'lucky' not to be sent off against Chelsea according to former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher.

The Eagles picked up a point at Stamford Bridge on Sunday but it was the hosts who started the game stronger, taking the lead through Nicholas Jackson after just 25 minutes. Hughes struggled to get on top of the Chelsea side, picking up a yellow card in the first half for pulling back Jackson.

Shortly after the break, Hughes was again a second too slow to stop a Chelsea move and clattered into Cole Palmer on the edge of the penalty box, bringing the England international to the ground. The Palace man avoided a second yellow card but was replaced by Cheick Doucoure straight after with Oliver Glasner admitting he made a 'very big mistake' by not taking Hughes off earlier.

Speaking on Sky Sports' Ref Watch, Gallagher admitted that Hughes may have dodged the booking thanks to the role of one of his teammates. He said: "I think what saved Will Hughes here is that he almost panics and lets go of him quickly, but also that there's a Palace player going to block him off. The referee will say he hasn't broken a promising attack.

"I think he gets lucky. His bench subbed him a minute later, that tells you everything. If he'd gone he had no complaints. It's up to the referee, his argument will be the player's covering.

"The easy thing is to set him up. When he makes the first tackle, because there was a catalogue, to say you've committed this, this and this, the next one and you're going. That's what Mark Clattenburg is an expert at."

Reacting to the verdict on the show, Stephen Warnock disagreed with the referee. He said: “Do you want to ask us and I’ll tell you? He should have been sent off. Dermot skirted around that one. He’s got to go. He’s a lucky lad and he knows it as well.”

Speaking after the game, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca called for VAR to be able to intervene on a second yellow card offence, which came just 24 hours after Declan Rice was sent off with two yellows for Arsenal.

The former Leicester City manager said: "In that moment we were 1-0 up and it was probably a second yellow card. They [would have been] with ten and the game completely changes. Also their reaction from their bench, to change him immediately, made it quite clear. But the referee saw it differently, so nothing to say.

“I think it’s the correct way [to allow VAR to intervene]. There aren’t many things to add because it was clear for all of us that it was a second yellow card and a red card. The only one thinking differently was the referee, but he’s the one that decides.”