'He could have caused a mass confrontation' - Ex-refs chief savages Brighton vs Aston Villa official

Howard Webb must look into how Peter Bankes dealt with Joao Gomes' red card during Aston Villa's defeat to Brighton.

That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that the referee could have caused a "mass confrontation" at the Amex Stadium.

The 25-year-old Brazilian was shown a straight red card for violent conduct, having kicked out at Georginio Rutter in the 40th minute after already picking up an earlier caution.

After four goals in 31 minutes for the Seagulls, Unai Emery's side were really struggling to gain a foothold, and it went from bad to worse before the half-time break.

There was absolutely no doubt about the red card, with some wondering why Bankes didn't produce the red card straight away this weekend.

And looking into the situation further, one former PGMOL chief has explained the dangers of not doing so, especially in such circumstances.

Peter Bankes took a 'dangerous approach'

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Hackett suggested that Bankes could have caused the situation to blow up by letting Brighton play advantage.

"My worry really was, why did VAR have to come in? Because I think that was pretty easily a red card," he said.

"It was a gimme, if you like, from a refereeing point of view. And I would have expected the referee to have given that red card straight away and not require VAR.

"But in fairness, VAR correctly came in because the referee had made a clear and obvious error in not dismissing the player. And the outcome was the right one.

"So overall, it was correct, but I would have had a word of advice in the ear of the referee to say, even if it's a big score, you have to keep talking to yourself to maintain high levels of concentration.

"Unless the ball's going in the back of the net, a referee should never play an advantage on a red card. I think it's such a dangerous approach.

"What may happen, and it didn't on this occasion, but what may happen is retaliation, mass confrontation, and all of a sudden, a blown-up situation."

What are Aston Villa's appeal chances for Joao Gomes?

For violent conduct, Gomes is likely to be unavailable for three matches, meaning he'll miss games against Arsenal, Hull City and Nottingham Forest.

Speaking to Football Insider, Hackett has already warned Villa against appealing the decision, saying that an extended ban would be likely.

With Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans gone, Emery has a total lack of options in the middle of the park, especially with Johan Manzambi injured.

A growing number of supporters are concerned by the current situation, and with one week of the summer window remaining, it could get even worse.