Ex-Arsenal star, Ian Wright has waded in on the controversy surrounding Carlos Baleba’s dismissal during Brighton’s 2-1 win against Bournemouth on Saturday. Discussing the match for BBC Sport, Wright said that he thought it was a harsh call, and that Baleba was particularly unlucky to be given a red card.
Another issue under discussion was the second yellow card received by Baleba for which Wright himself said I don’t think it’s a yellow card, let alone a red card. Wright and Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler both expressed hostility towards the decision calling it ‘unbelievable’ and decidedly unfair on their part.
The red card issued to Baleba will make him miss Brighton’s next game against Southampton on 29th November – a match that Wright fears will not only be a disadvantage to Baleba but also to Brighton. Despite Contes tactics and Bournemouth’s failure to convert their chances, Brighton pulled through with a win thanks to goals by Alexis Mac Allister and Evan Ferguson which earned praise from Wright. The victory takes Brighton to the same number of points as Chelsea, and one point adrift of Manchester City.