Credit: Imago

Evan Lloyd

Mon 4 May 2026 18:38, UK

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Keith Hackett has backed Anthony Taylor’s decision not to send off Malo Gusto in Nottingham Forest’s 3-1 win over Chelsea on Monday.

Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice at Stamford Bridge and was brought down inside the penalty box by Gusto in the first half.

The Frenchman had hold of the striker’s shirt and was pulling him back as he attempted to get on the end of Dilane Bakwa’s cross.

Anthony Taylor initially dismissed the protests from the visitors, but was quickly sent to the monitor after a review was recommended by VAR James Bell.

Gusto was shown a yellow card and Igor Jesus made no mistake from the spot, but Nottingham Forest’s victory may well have come at a greater margin had the defender been dismissed.

Keith Hackett explains Malo Gusto decision

Gusto was sent off against Nottingham Forest when Chelsea won 3-0 at the City Ground in October, and for a moment, the Frenchman may have been fearing a repeat of history.

The right-back had not at all been subtle with his pull on Awoniyi, with replays showing him with a handful of the striker’s shirt for more than just a moment.

It is unclear whether the Nigerian would have got on the end of Bakwa’s cross, with the ball hit with some pace and loft, but he was certainly denied the chance to try.

Taylor did not need to take a long look at the screen before awarding a penalty and a yellow card, although there is some discussion that Gusto may well have been sent off for denial of a goal-scoring opportunity.

The challenge does meet one part of the criteria, in the fact that the Chelsea man did not make an attempt to play the ball, but ex-PGMOL chief Hackett has cleared up why the punishment was not more severe.

“Correct decision to award a penalty kick for the pull but did not fulfil the criteria for DOGSO,” he exclusively told Football Insider.

“So yellow card was the correct decision. Probability to control the ball was in doubt, and the covering defender in proximity is the reason it is not DOGSO.”

Gusto can count himself lucky

Chelsea have had a disciplinary crisis this season, with seven red cards racked up in the Premier League alone.

For Gusto to add his second and his team’s eighth, especially at such an early stage of the game, would have been catastrophic.

The defender’s actions were inexplicable nonetheless, but he can count himself lucky that he does not find himself at the centre of a damning Chelsea narrative after the game.

And with Reece James out injured, it was only more important that Gusto stayed on the pitch.