Alan Shearer believes Eddie Nketiah was unfairly sent off during Crystal Palace’s 2-1 win over Brighton. Nketiah was initially booked for simulation after appealing for a penalty, and then received a second yellow card 10 minutes later for a high boot on Jan Paul Van Hecke.
Match of the Day host Gary Lineker and Shearer discussed the decision, with Shearer arguing that Nketiah was “very unlucky” and that the first yellow card was “very harsh.” Shearer felt that Nketiah had been clipped by Brighton’s Pervis Estupinan and that his delayed reaction to go to ground led to the booking.
However, Shearer agreed with Lineker that Nketiah’s second yellow card was justified. Danny Murphy, also a pundit on the show, took a different view, suggesting that the first yellow card was necessary to clamp down on simulation, even if it meant getting the occasional decision wrong.
The match itself was marked by a series of dramatic events, including Marc Guehi’s sending off for Crystal Palace and Van Hecke’s late red card for Brighton. Despite these incidents, Crystal Palace held on for the win, thanks to Daniel Munoz’s deflected strike in the second half.
Shearer reflected on Brighton’s disappointing week, which saw them knocked out of the FA Cup and beaten by Aston Villa. However, he noted that Brighton still had a chance to climb the league and potentially qualify for Europe, given their current eighth-place position and remaining games.
