Chris Sutton slams ’embarrassing’ Rangers vs Celtic ref as pen given after ‘cheating’

Chris Sutton slams ’embarrassing’ Rangers vs Celtic ref as pen given after ‘cheating’

Sutton accused Rangers forward Fabio Silva of ‘cheating’ after he was awarded a penalty in the Old Firm match against Celtic.

The Hoops were ahead 2-0 at Ibrox when, in the second half, the Portuguese forward appeared to drop dramatically under Alistair Johnson’s push in the area and was promptly cautioned for diving.

Commentating for Sky Sports, Sutton criticized his actions line on camera, prompting referee John Beaton to the monitor.

And, to the ex-Celtic striker’s surprise, the official reversed the card and gave a penalty kick.

“It’s cheating,” Sutton stated before Beaton reconsidered his decision.

He then accused the official of a “embarrassing climbdown” as James Tavernier lined up penalty.

He made no mistakes, smashing the ball brilliantly into Joe Hart’s top corner to give Rangers hope after 55 minutes.

Just seconds later, Sutton erupted again when Cyriel Dessers appeared to tie the score following a goalmouth scramble.

Sutton, who has long been accused of being biased towards his previous team in his punditry, immediately called for a foul in the build-up.

And this time, he was grateful that Beaton was called to pitch-side, and the goal was properly ruled out.

This time, however, the home fans were left berating the referee. After reviewing the monitor,

he appeared to point to the halfway line to signify a goal, but then changed his body posture to indicate a free kick.

The drama only led to an explosive start to the derby, with Daizen Maida scoring a remarkable goal for the visiting side after only 21 seconds. They extended their lead after 34 minutes with a penalty from Matt O’Riley.

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