James Maddison took to social media after avoiding a red card despite seeming to strike out at Ryan Yates during Nottingham Forest’s defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
The 26-year-old tumbled to the ground after feeling Maddison push him in the stomach on the perimeter of Forest’s penalty area. Although referee Simon Hooper missed the incident, VAR investigated but did not reprimand the Spurs player.
The decision drew a heated reaction from Forest fans on social media, with many outraged that Maddison was not punished. The incident was discovered during televised coverage of the game and thoroughly addressed.
Pundit Jamie Redknapp believed there was insufficient evidence to justify a red card. “It’s not much. Yates is like that; he tries to get in players’ faces, much like Gascoigne and Vinnie Jones many years ago,” he told Sky Sports.
Meanwhile, Roy Keane lambasted Yates’ fall to the floor, saying, “I worked with Yates at Forest, he was a genuinely kind kid, but every time someone touched him, he went down. He falls down far too readily. For such a decent boy, he should drop that from his game.”
Maddison took to Instagram after the game and posted, “Job done. +3 [white heart emoji].”
Following the game, Yates stated, “James Maddison is a good player, and I know he makes them tick. It’s my responsibility to disrupt the flow. A couple decisions may not have gone our way, but we’ve seen inconsistency in the Premier League this season.
Reds manager Nuno Espirito Santo added, “I was surprised VAR didn’t send Maddison off.” Maddison lost her control and hit Yates in the stomach. What they saw was plainly different from what we observed. I wouldn’t speak until I was very certain.”
