“Unlucky”: Chris Sutton comments on a disputed incident in Rangers’ defeat to Ross County.
Chris Sutton believes Rangers were justified to be granted a penalty in the second half of their defeat against Ross County on Sunday (April 14). On Sky Sports Football on Sunday (02:24pm), the analyst said Brandon Khela was “unlucky” to concede the penalty, although he admitted that the ball struck his arm.
Sutton couldn’t help but poke fun at the Gers, claiming that he’s used to seeing Philippe Clement’s team awarded penalties, with James Tavernier’s resulting effort failing to ignite a late rally as the Staggies won 3-2. “It is the position of the arm,” Sutton explained. “You may say it’s unlucky, but he jumps with his arms and knees up. I don’t think any of us will complain; we’re used to Rangers receiving penalties.”
Rangers can’t afford any more slip-ups following the Ross County setback. There is little doubt that Rangers were correct to be awarded a penalty since Khela’s arm was outstretched, with VAR instructing the referee to go to the monitor after the initial appeals were rejected on the field.
He didn’t take long to decide an offense had been committed, as Tavernier confidently stepped up to find the bottom corner. But that wasn’t enough for the Gers, as an extremely poor second-half performance resulted in them returning to Glasgow with 0 points, a setback to their title hopes.
It’s not surprising that Sutton continues to make fun of the Light Blues’ penalty record, which has been a source of concern this season.
However, the Light Blues cannot afford to be concerned because they have some important games coming up as they seek to reclaim the lead in the title fight.