Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou has raised questions about whether Celtic could have been reduced to ten men during their 3-1 Premiership win at Celtic Park, suggesting Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was fortunate to escape with only a booking.
Celtic secured a significant victory in their title challenge through two goals from Hyunjun Yang and a Tomas Cvancara penalty, but the match was not without controversy. Oxlade-Chamberlain was booked by referee John Beaton in the early stages for a challenge on Elijah Just, with VAR choosing not to recommend a review. Later in the game, Beaton was called to the monitor to examine Emmanuel Longelo’s hold on Daizen Maeda, a review that resulted in a penalty for Celtic and a red card for the Motherwell defender.
Askou said he found it difficult to reconcile the two decisions, arguing that he has seen challenges similar to Oxlade-Chamberlain’s upgraded to a red card far more regularly than he has seen a holding offence in the box punished as severely as Longelo’s was. He accepted the penalty call without dispute but felt the early tackle deserved much closer scrutiny given the potential consequences for Just. The New Zealand midfielder was left in considerable pain, his leg visibly swollen, and Askou described him as looking as though he had been through a war. He also noted a second incident involving the same Celtic player in the second half that he felt could have warranted a second yellow card.
Despite the frustration, Askou spoke warmly of how the match had been played, saying both sides had invested heavily in trying to win and had produced a game worth watching. He reserved particular praise for Just, who continued to make an impact even after being moved to left back, still trying to function as an attacking player and drive Motherwell forward until the end.