Masuaku should have seen red for his flying boot
ARTHUR MAsUAkU should have been sent off for his high-boot challenge which came down on the neck of Theo Walcott. He clearly endangered the safety of his opponent.
Look back to last season and the red card issued to Liverpool’s sadio Mane for his high boot on Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson — that set the standard for this type of challenge.
Masuaku was booked, but the fact that Everton winger Walcott was not seriously injured spared the West Ham defender a red card. Yes, referees do take that into consideration.
The rules state they should not — and that is why Martin Atkinson should have sent off Masuaku regardless.
You often find that referees will wait to assess the extent of the injury before making their decision if they are unsure on the severity of the challenge.
Ederson was badly injured and that made the decision easier for the referee on that occasion.