LONDON (UK) – Roy Hodgson of Crystal Palace said he was disappointed with the decision of referee Martin Atkinson to send off midfielder Luka Milivojevic during Friday’s 2-0 Premier League rout at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Palace captain Milivojevic was dismissed in the 87th minute for a bad challenge on Wolves’ Joao Moutinho. This came after the referee checked the pitchside monitor for serious foul play in the wake of the intervention of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
It was the culmination of a frustrating evening for Palace, who had several VAR decisions go against them. Michy Batshuayi’s goal was disallowed and a penalty award was overturned.
“My view is it’s not a sending off and I’ve told Martin Atkinson that,” Hodgson told the BBC.
“He thinks there was a reason to give a red card but I’ve seen it as well and I certainly don’t agree with that. It was a fair challenge and there was no intent to contact Moutinho.
“I’m disappointed with that one. It’s the worst part of the evening in a way. There would have been positives to take, but to lose a player for three games for a challenge I didn’t even consider a foul will be hard to take.”
Speaking at a briefing later, Hodgson said Palace would appeal the decision of the referee.
