Former England striker Peter Crouch asserts that Ghanaian forward Mohammed Kudus merited a red card in West Ham United’s 4-1 loss to Tottenham.
Crouch, speaking on TNT, contended that Kudus lacked self-control during the altercation with Dutch defender Van de Ven. “Completely lost his head,” Crouch remarked.
Van de Ven displayed good restraint by not reacting, despite having previously engaged in aggressive actions such as stepping on him, attempting to kick the ball at him, and standing on him.
The incident escalated when Richarlison fell down, resulting in a physical altercation. He needed to depart. It was a complete loss of composure for Kudus during West Ham’s match against Tottenham on October 19, 2024.
The forward received a straight red card for violent behavior towards Van de Ven and Pape Matar Sarr in the 86th minute. Referee Andy Madley was praised by former Spurs midfielder Glenn Hoddle for his handling of the incident, as Kudus left him with no choice but to send him off.
“He had to be sent off eventually, didn’t he? It was clear after the repeated incidents that the referees had to take action.” The referee demonstrated prudence by opting not to issue a red card, citing the necessity of vigilance in overseeing the game.
Subsequently, upon consultation with VAR, the decision was revised to a yellow card due to clearer evidence of misconduct. This highlights the potential consequences for players who challenge VAR decisions, as evidenced by Kudus’ three-game suspension following the red card.
