'He knows what he's doing' - Ex-refs chief: Cole Palmer should be banned for what he did vs Everton

Chelsea star Cole Palmer can count himself lucky that Paul Tierney decided not to send him off against Everton.

That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that his very late lunge on Jarrad Branthwaite was "borderline" and enough to have earned him a suspension for the next round of Premier League matches.

Xabi Alonso's superstar was a thorn in the referee's side all game on Saturday, 17 October, finally picking up a caution for dissent in the 65th minute.

Many thought he should have already had a yellow to his name after booting the ball high into the sky after the whistle had already gone for an Everton free-kick.

Then, in the 11th minute of added time at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, the 24-year-old went flying into a challenge on Branthwaite near the corner flag.

Home fans were furious not to see a second yellow card be produced, but it would appear that Tierney's decision is now being supported.

Cole Palmer lives dangerously vs Everton

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Hackett understood the frustrations around the challenge, but stated that he wanted to see more for a sending off in this situation.

"I think he knows exactly what he's doing. That action is reckless. He's coming in with pace. At any other time, I suspect the referee would give a yellow," he said.

"The reason he's not got a yellow is the referee's got his thinking cap on and actually said, 'It's just borderline'. And therefore I'm not going to issue that second yellow card.

"That's the thinking of the referee. And he's probably right. If you're going to issue that second yellow, we say to referees it's got to be more leaning towards orange.

"That's not a card available, but we want to nail it, that second one. And I think that's borderline. He got away with it."

Chelsea star a lucky boy on Merseyside

Palmer's early dissent was almost more of a talking point at the Hill Dickinson, having avoided a punishment for kicking the ball away.

"For that one where he lifted the ball and kicked it vertically in the air, that is a clear act of dissent," Hackett told Football Insider.

"He should have had a yellow card at that stage and he could have had it for two reasons. One, dissent by action and then delaying the restart."

Had Palmer been sent off, it wouldn't have made a difference to the result, but it is certainly a decision that fans can still be upset about.