Ex-PGMOL boss: Fulham star deserved red card after ‘blatant’ incident vs Leeds United
Marco Silva was fortunate not to see his Fulham side go down to 10 men against Leeds United on Saturday.
That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that Chris Kavanagh missed a “blatant” moment of dissent at Elland Road on 17 January.
Hackett has heavily criticised Kavanagh during the 2025-26 campaign, raising concerns over his refereeing decisions and why Howard Webb continues to use him in the Premier League.
Most recently, Nico O’Reilly avoided a red card against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg, and, of course, it was Kavanagh who was in charge at St James’ Park.
Sasa Lukic walks a tightrope vs Leeds United
In the first 45 minutes, Timothy Castagne, Sasa Lukic, and Ethan Ampadu had all gone into the referee’s notebook, with Silva also earning a caution for his antics on the sidelines.
On the half-hour mark, Lukic could have been cautioned again, which would have meant a red card for the Serbian international, but Kavanagh appeared to turn a blind eye to the incident.
The 29-year-old kicked the ball away in frustration, with Ampadu being punished for something similar later in the half, but the referee chose not to give a second yellow out to the Cottagers’ star.
It would have been one of the easier decisions of the Premier League weekend, and while Lukas Nmecha‘s winning goal rendered it unimportant, it remains a huge talking point for the referee.
Chris Kavanagh bottles red card decision at Elland Road
Hackett, exclusively speaking to Football Insider on The Final Whistle, said: “In law, he has to give a second yellow. This was a blatant act of dissent, which should have been punished with a second yellow and then a red card.”
Lukic is no stranger to a yellow card, having picked up his sixth of the league season at Elland Road, with another 12 to his name during the 2024-25 Premier League campaign.
This is something that Silva needs to address, not just with the midfielder, but also the rest of his team, to avoid any stupid suspensions for acts of dissent in the top tier of English football.