‘Stupid moment, you deserved a red card’ – Former Tottenham player slams Chelsea star for what he did in 2-0 win over Palace
Following Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Crystal palace in the FA Cup Semi final, Former Tottenham Hotspur wideman Jamie O’Hara has claimed that he would have sent Kai Havertz off for his “stupid” dive.
However, The German playmaker was selected to start the clash at Wembley Stadium by Thomas Tuchel, with the Blues boss hopeful that the former Bayer Leverkusen man would represent an inspirational figure for his side once more.
Havertz was certainly involved in one of the flashpoints of the first-half but not from a positive viewpoint. Attempting to earn the advantage for his side, the German skipped past former Blues’ defender Marc Guehi and went down in a heap.
With Chelsea supporters appealing for a penalty, referee Anthony Taylor elected to book Havertz for a dive – replays confirming that he wasn’t touched by the Palace defender.
Former Spurs man O’Hara slammed Havertz’s decision and suggested that he would have handed the Blues star his marching orders.
Speaking with Sky Sports, he said: “Havertz’s first touch is absolutely brilliant, he takes it past the defender but as he goes past him, he looks like he got fouled right on the edge of the box, he’s looking for the penalty. It would have been right on the edge.
“The referee books him for diving. Now when you watch it back, instantly, you get the replay and you come back and Havertz has dived, it’s a shocking dive as well. Absolutely no place for it in the game.
“He’s got to book him for it. The Crystal Palace players are going crazy because that for me is such bad simulation. Not what you want to see in the game, especially at the highest level at a big moment.
“It’s actually stupid from him because his first touch takes him past the defender anyway, he’s in. He could get a shot off, he’s one-on-one with the keeper almost. Shocking from him, I hate to see it in the game. We need to get it out as quickly as possible. I would have sent him off.”