Sky Sports pundits were at odds over whether West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus should face additional punishment following his red card during the Irons’ 4-1 defeat at Tottenham on 19 October.
Kudus saw red after a VAR review at the end of the game, having clashed with Micky van de Ven before lashing out at both the Dutch defender and Pape Matar Sarr.
Former Premier League referee Mike Dean argued on Soccer Saturday that Kudus could face further retrospective action for his behaviour, but Kris Boyd was stunned when Clinton Morrison dismissed the idea.
Dean said: “Hopefully the second one the FA will then take retrospective action and he’ll get done twice in my opinion, because he’s hit two different players in the face on two occasions.”
Morrison disagreed: “No, he shouldn’t get done twice.”
Boyd, surprised by Morrison’s stance, reacted: “Wow.” Dean pressed further, saying, “He should do,” and demanded, “Why? Why?”
Morrison doubled down: “I don’t think he should get done. The first one it counts, but not the second one. It’s heat of the moment, I don’t think he should get done twice.”
Lopetegui’s troubles deepen with heavy defeat:
Regardless of the outcome of any FA review, Kudus’ red card was another worrying sign for Julen Lopetegui, whose West Ham side continues to stumble.
Despite an uplifting 4-1 win over Ipswich on 5 October, the Irons failed to carry that momentum into their clash with Spurs, succumbing to the same 4-1 scoreline—despite Kudus opening the scoring early on.
Lopetegui’s tenure has got off to a rocky start, and losing Kudus to suspension for multiple games would be another blow in what is becoming a concerning season for the Hammers.
Kudus’ frustration boiled over when he lashed out at Van de Ven on the ground, kicking out twice. Initially shown a yellow card by referee Andy Madley, the situation escalated after Kudus placed his hands on Van de Ven’s face.
Though the contact was minimal, it was enough to prompt the defender to fall theatrically to the turf, clutching his face.
While Van de Ven’s reaction drew criticism, Sarr’s response to a subsequent blow to the face was far more restrained. He remained on his feet, avoiding any exaggerated theatrics, even though the contact he received was more substantial than Van de Ven’s.
Ultimately, it was the second incident—where Kudus struck Sarr—that sealed his fate following the VAR review. Even without dramatic play-acting, the Ghanaian forward had already condemned himself with his actions.
The loss raises fresh questions about the decision to part ways with David Moyes and appoint Lopetegui.
Few could have predicted such a poor start for the former Sevilla manager, and it now seems increasingly uncertain how long this turbulent spell can continue before further changes are considered.