A contentious moment involving Rangers defender Emmanuel Fernandez and Celtic midfielder Arne Engels was put under the microscope on Sky Sports Ref Watch, with both pundits firmly rejecting claims that the Rangers defender was fortunate to escape a red card early in the visitors 3-1 Old Firm victory.
Speaking during the analysis, former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher and ex-England striker Jay Bothroyd were aligned in their view: while there was contact, it did not meet the threshold for violent conduct.
Bothroyd, speaking as a former forward familiar with physical duels, was keen to stress the context of the incident – referencing host Will Ferry’s sound effects during the replay of the incident.
“Will, your sound effects are making that sound worse than it was,” he said.
“Again, I've been in that situation before.
“When you feel a defender behind you and you feel like he's on top of you, you're trying to kind of fight him off.
“But like Dermot said, he hasn't swung an elbow like that into his face. You see when someone swings an elbow into someone's face. He hasn't done that there.”
The former striker acknowledged that Engels was caught but argued the mechanics of the movement were crucial.
“He's caught him. Obviously, he's a taller man as well. Maybe that's a reason because the defender’s got low.
“He's caught him in the face, but it's definitely not a red card offence.”
Former English Premier League referee Gallagher then added a more technical refereeing perspective, offering insight into what officials are trained to look for when judging potential “weapon” use.
“I'll give you a good clue for weapon elbow,” Gallagher explained.
“When you go like that, your hand is open - If you go to elbow somebody, you always close your fist.”
He went on to underline that while this is not a rigid law, it remains a strong indicator.
“That's something you look for, right?
“Years ago – Referees said that's one of the biggest [markers].
“It's not in tablets of stone, but it's a good marker.”
The Ref Watch verdict was clear: Fernandez’s action, while clumsy and resulting in contact with Arne Engels, lacked the intent, motion and aggression required for dismissal.
In short, Sky’s officials-backed assessment backed the on-field decision of referee Steven McLean - and dismissed claims of a missed red card as overreaction rather than refereeing failure.