The West Ham United defender was controversially sent off in the win over Crystal Palace.
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has told Sky Sports that West Ham United’s Aaron Cresswell should not have been sent off against Crystal Palace.
Cresswell made an immediate return to the Hammers line-up on Saturday afternoon after missing the beginning of the campaign through injury.
The game started off well for him as he provided a superb assist for Manuel Lanzini to score the winning goal of the game.
It was a return that ended in disaster though as he picked up a red card for two bookable offences within a minute.
The first of those yellow cards was for simulation but Gallagher insists it was an undeserved one.
“It is easy seeing this [the replays] that he shouldn’t have been booked [for simulation],” he told Sky Sports.
“It’s not a simulation and it’s unfortunate he gets a yellow card. What’s unfortunate is the consequence that arises from it a minute later.”
The second yellow came about as Cresswell tussled with Palace winger Zaha when they competed for the ball on the right wing.
The Eagles man ended up on the floor with assistant Peter Kirkup flagging for a foul and then visibly telling referee Martin Atkinson that the foul was a second yellow.
That left the referee with little choice but to send off the Hammers man but Gallagher says a free-kick would have been enough.
“I think it’s just a foul and a free-kick is enough” added Gallagher.
“The problem is the assistant thinks differently. He says to him [the referee] ‘it’s a second yellow card and the ref has nowhere to go.”
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