Former Premier League referee Mike Dean believes Chelsea were fortunate to avoid a red card against Everton on Saturday. The game started slowly before Harrison Armstrong received a yellow card for a strong tackle on Josh Acheampong, which sparked a huge reaction inside the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

There was also a feisty altercation between James Tarkowski and Morgan Rogers in the first half, which saw both players booked. Rogers then collided with James Garner in a crunching tackle that VAR reviewed. Although neither player received a booking for the incident, Dean believes it warranted a sending off.

With Reece James injured AGAIN, is it time to strip him of the captaincy? 😕 If so, who are you giving it to?

No timeline has been given for his return…

Mike Dean claims Morgan Rogers should have been sent off against Everton

Morgan Rogers and James Garner both slid into a brutal 50-50 challenge in the 43rd minute. Rogers went in side-footed with his studs down, but his foot rolled over the ball and into Garner’s shin.

Meanwhile, Garner appeared to miss the ball and tread on Rogers’ sliding leg. Fans of both teams suggested that the opposing player should have been sent off, but referee Paul Tierney saw nothing wrong with the challenge.

Mike Dean saw the incident differently and argued that Rogers should have been sent off. He told Sky Sports: “He doesn’t get the ball, Rogers, and catches him with his studs inside Garner’s knee, and I think it’s a straight red.”

A straight red card would have been an extremely harsh decision, given that Rogers got a touch on the ball before making contact with Garner and both players went into the challenge with similar force. However, Rogers may have been fortunate not to receive a second yellow card for a reckless challenge.

Former Everton and Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott took the more popular view that it was a firm but fair tackle between two competitive players. “I liked it,” he said on TNT Sports. “Both [players] were committed.

“I don’t think anyone is malicious in there. The only question here is, ‘Does Jimmy kick out a little bit?’ For me, the right decision was made. No yellow cards.”