Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has said Crystal Palace’s Nigerian forward Christantus Uche was lucky to avoid a red card during Sunday’s 2–1 defeat against Everton at Goodison Park, Soccernet.ng reports.
The incident occurred late in the match, shortly after Uche came on in the 89th minute.
The Palace forward appeared to jab Everton defender James Tarkowski in the stomach, sparking a VAR check for violent conduct.
No action was taken at the time, and the game proceeded with only a brief pause.
Clattenburg, one of Europe’s most respected former referees who officiated both the 2016 UEFA Champions League Final and Euro 2016 Final, believes the 22-year-old should have been dismissed.
“Christantus Uche is unlikely to face any retrospective action after appearing to punch James Tarkowski on Sunday,” Clattenburg explained in a chat with We Are Palace.
“The incident would have been checked by VAR and deemed not worthy of a red card. The Football Association do not re-referee matches when incidents are seen by the match officials, which now includes VAR. I do believe (however) that the VAR should have recommended a review for a red card for violent conduct.”
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Tarkowski, to his credit, did not overreact to the jab, a decision that may have helped Uche’s case. Had the Everton defender gone down theatrically, VAR might have recommended a red card and a potential three-match suspension.
Uche looking to impress in the Premier League and for Nigeria
Christantus Uche joined Crystal Palace on loan from Spanish club Getafe in the summer.
The loan deal could become permanent for just over 20 million euros should the versatile Super Eagles star make ten starts for Palace during the course of the campaign.
However, Uche has only made three appearances for Palace in all competitions, all from as a substitute, a situation that has reportedly gotten Getafe and Ceuta worried.
As is the case with Palace, Uche is also trying to force his way into the first-team picture for the Nigeria senior national team.
The youngster featured for Nigeria against Jamaica and Russia earlier in the year but those were friendly matches.
The 22-year-old, who impressed in his debut against Sunderland, is currently in Polokwane, South Africa, as Nigeria prepare to face Lesotho in a crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier. The match could mark Uche’s competitive debut for the Super Eagles.