Ex-PGMOL chief drops Wolves vs Stoke City penalty verdict after analysing controversial footage
Referee Tom Nield made the right decision to give Wolverhampton Wanderers a penalty in their comfortable 4-1 victory against Stoke City on Saturday.
That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that Ben Johnson’s challenge on Raul Jimenez was “careless” and gave the officials little option but to give the spot-kick.
In the end, it was a simple victory for Wolves in the West Midlands derby to move up to second in the Championship.
Despite going 1-0 down early on, Cesar Peixoto’s side completely turned the game on its head.
However, the penalty proved to be controversial, with many Stoke fans believing that Jimenez went down far too easily when challenged by Johnson.
Nevertheless, after viewing the footage, Hackett believes that the officials have made the right decision.
Keith Hackett reacts to Wolves penalty vs Stoke City
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Hackett explained why the referee was right to award Wolves a penalty against Stoke City.
He said: “The challenge by the Stoke player was careless and left the referee with little option other than to award a penalty kick.”
As a result of the defeat, Stoke City have remained bottom of the Championship and without a point in the first three matches, with pressure now increasing on Mark Robins.
In comparison, Wolves are proving to be a formidable threat as they look to make an immediate return to the Premier League after their humiliating relegation from the top-flight last season.
What are Wolves’ current promotion odds?
According to Opta on 29 August, Wolves are currently on track to win promotion back to the Premier League this season.
The supercomputer has predicted the Old Gold side to finish second after Saturday’s results.
Their odds of winning the title are currently placed at 15.26 per cent, and their chances of promotion are 26.02 per cent.
Only Millwall are seen as more likely to be promoted at present, despite them losing 5-1 away to Southampton on Saturday.
Nevertheless, it remains to be seen who will win promotion this season, with multiple clubs aiming to win a place in the Premier League for the next campaign.