Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg believes Rangers defender Emmanuel Fernandez was exceptionally fortunate to stay on the pitch during the recent derby clash against Celtic at Celtic Park.

​The match official, John Beaton, found himself under scrutiny after choosing not to penalise an incident that Clattenburg argues met every criterion for a caution. Because Fernandez had already received a yellow card earlier in the fixture, any secondary booking would have inevitably led to his dismissal.

​Fernandez picked up his first caution during the opening exchanges following a clumsy challenge on Celtic attacker Camilo Duran. While some spectators and pundits debated whether that early tackle warranted a straight red card, Clattenburg swiftly dismissed the idea. Speaking on the So Near, Yet So VAR programme, the veteran official pointed out that the situation was far from a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Duran faced considerable distance and work before creating a genuine strike on goal, making an outright sending-off far too harsh.

​The real controversy unfolded later in the match when Fernandez clashed with Celtic midfielder Benjamin Nygren out wide. The defender appeared to unlawfully obstruct and hold Nygren as Celtic mounted a counterattack just outside the penalty area. To the disbelief of the home supporters, Beaton waved play on, choosing not to award a free-kick.

​Clattenburg expressed outright shock at the non-call, stressing that the referee missed a blatant booking. Looking past the intensity of the derby atmosphere and the specific minute on the clock, Clattenburg argued that the incident must be judged purely on the laws of the game.

​According to the former referee, the challenge clearly halted a promising attacking move. At the exact moment Fernandez made contact, Celtic possessed a two-against-two advantage breaking toward the 18-yard box. Referees are explicitly trained to protect attacking phases of that nature, and halting them through illegal contact constitutes a textbook yellow-card offence.

​Had Beaton blown his whistle to award Celtic the set-piece, he would have had very little choice but to reach into his pocket for a second yellow card and subsequently produce a red card. Clattenburg noted that video assistant referees are barred by protocol from intervening in second-yellow-card incidents, meaning the final responsibility rested entirely on the on-field official.

​Clattenburg went on to suggest that by ignoring the foul altogether, Beaton conveniently sidestepped the massive responsibility of sending off a key player in an explosive fixture. Whether that outcome was intentional or a simple oversight, the failure to stop play allowed Fernandez to escape an early exit. Clattenburg concluded that the lack of consistency damaged the match, reiterating that a clear foul occurred and that Rangers should have played out the contest with ten men.