Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins didn't think John McGinn should have been sent off during their crushing 4-0 defeat against Tottenham.
Following an even first-half, Spurs took the lead through James Maddison in the 50th minute before Brennan Johnson doubled their advantage moments later. Controversy then struck when McGinn went flying into a challenge on Destiny Udogie.
McGinn appeared to make no attempt to win the ball and completely cleaned out the Spurs left back, who went crashing to the floor. The Spurs coaching staff and some players stormed out to confront McGinn as Villa boss Unai Emery pulled his captain away.
Once the melee had calmed, referee Chris Kavanagh issued McGinn with a straight red card, to the surprise of the Scotland international. That all but ended the contest, before Son Heung-min and Timo Werner added two late goals to wrap up a fine victory for Tottenham.
Speaking after the game, Watkins delivered his opinion on the sending off, telling Sky Sports: "The sending off I think is harsh. Obviously it looks a little bit reckless because it's in front of their bench and a big reaction from their side. It's obviously a tough one to take.
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"If someone says you lose the game but you finish with 10 men then I'd take that. John McGinn is so important for us. That's the biggest nail in the coffin, losing him for three games."
Ex-Villa defender Micah Richards however disagreed, and believed Kavanagh made the right decision to show McGinn his marching orders.
Richards said: "I don't think he can have too many complaints about this. I've played with him, he’s not that sort of lad, obviously he was very frustrated with how the game was going.
"I think we have to be honest about the situation, and there’s no attempt to play the ball, it’s a red card."
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - MARCH 10: John McGinn of Aston Villa reacts after being shown a red card by Referee Chris Kavanagh after a foul on Destiny Udogie of Tottenham Hotspur (not pictured) during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur at Villa Park on March 10, 2024 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images) (Getty Images)McGinn is now set to miss Villa's next three Premier League matches, including next month's trip to Manchester City.
Defeat for Villa leaves them two points above fifth-place Tottenham, who have a game in hand, in the race for the top-four. And boss Emery has called on his side to stay more composed and be mature in those situations. He said: "We have to control our emotions, even when we are losing 2-0.
"We have a responsibility to be mature. We are still fourth in the table but of course we have to accept to lose. Today we weren't clinical and we weren't better than the opponent. Then we lost control of our emotions and the red card was disappointing for me.
"Of course John McGinn is always very, very important. He wishes to compete after the second goal."
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