Keith Hackett believes Levi Colwill was correctly booked rather than sent off in Chelsea’s 3-2 win over Fulham, with the former Premier League referee chief arguing that the covering defender changed the picture in a key first-half incident.
The debate centred on Colwill’s foul on Oscar Bobb in the early stages at Craven Cottage, when some supporters felt the Chelsea defender had denied a clear goalscoring opportunity as the last man. But Hackett’s view was that the on-field decision to show yellow stood up because the covering defender influenced the outcome.
Why Keith Hackett thought the booking was right
Hackett’s verdict was straightforward: “The covering defender influences my agreement.” In other words, the presence of support behind Colwill mattered, even if the incident prompted immediate debate in the ground and online.
Colwill was playing on the left-hand side of a back three because Wesley Fofana was ruled out through suspension, which made the defensive structure an even bigger talking point. When a team is reshaped like that, the margins on a first-half disciplinary decision become even tighter.
The important point is that Colwill was not sent off. Chelsea stayed with 11 men, and that proved decisive in a match that swung back and forth before ending 3-2.
Chelsea’s response after the early scare
Chelsea had already made a flying start, with Joao Pedro scoring after just 31 seconds to put them 1-0 up. Fulham responded, but before half-time Morgan Rogers cancelled out Josh King’s equaliser to restore Chelsea’s lead.
Shortly after the restart, Cole Palmer scored what turned out to be the winner. That meant the Colwill incident, while heavily debated, did not alter the final outcome in the way many feared it might.
Hackett’s verdict will not end the argument, because there will always be disagreement whenever a defender is caught in a last-man scenario. But on this occasion, his view was clear: the yellow card was the correct call, and Colwill was not fortunate enough to be judged entirely free of danger, only free of a red card.
