Wolves star Podence escapes red card after appearing to spit at …

Wolves star Daniel Podence escaped further punishment from VAR after appearing to spit at rival Brennan Johnson during their clash with Nottingham Forest[1]. The two relegation-threatened sides - who were involved in an ill-tempered brawl after their Carabao Cup quarter-final last month - played out a 1-1 draw which was again a feisty affair. Things boiled over in the closing stages after Diego Costa and Cheikhou Kouyate tangled near the halfway line and Podence got involved.

He grabbed the leg of Kouyate trying to untangle the pair and players from both sides then waded in before Podence appeared to make a spitting motion towards Johnson. Johnson instantly touched the left side of his lip appearing to indicate he had been spat at and complained the referee Chris Kavanagh.

VAR looked at the incident, which occurred late in the 1-1 draw at the City GroundVAR looked at the incident, which occurred late in the 1-1 draw at the City Ground

HAVE YOUR SAY! Who will be relegated from the Premier League? Join the discussion in the comments section.[2][3]

The incident was then reviewed at Stockley Park by the Video Assistant Referee, Neil Swarbrick, who decided not to take any further action. It was unclear from the video footage whether any spit left Podence's mouth in Johnson's direction but the incident sparked plenty of outrage. However, Johnson looked to play down the incident at full-time, telling the BBC[4] : "I think it's just high emotion.

I don't remember it clearly. I don't want to talk about it too much. I saw a motion come from him but they looked at it and it didn't happen."

At the full-time whistle, managers Julen Lopetegui and Steve Cooper exchanged words and refused to shake hands after the points were shared in a huge game for. both sides. Johnson gave Forest the lead in the first-half before Podence equalised for Wolves[5] having been brought on as a substitute.

Podence scored Wolves' equaliser before the incident with JohnsonPodence scored Wolves' equaliser before the incident with Johnson

Earlier in the game, members of both benches had clashed after Wolves and Forest both had penalty appeals waved away. Former Wolves man Morgan Gibbs-White first thought he had been brought down before Adama Traore ran up the other end and felt he had been fouled in the box.

VAR checked both challenges and waved away the protests before backroom staff on both sides had to be separated on the touchline.

Red cards were brandished to a member from each bench as a result of that clash.

The result leaves Wolves 13th and Forest 14th in the table, with just one point separating the sides and a slender gap to the relegation zone as both look to avoid the drop.

References

  1. ^ Nottingham Forest (www.irishmirror.ie)
  2. ^ HAVE YOUR SAY! (www.irishmirror.ie)
  3. ^ comments section. (www.irishmirror.ie)
  4. ^ BBC (www.irishmirror.ie)
  5. ^ Wolves (www.irishmirror.ie)

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