The incident got the Ref Watch treatment after Sky heard from Celtic fans asking for an answer
12:16, 05 Jan 2026Updated 19:40, 05 Jan 2026
Dermot Gallagher and Jay Bothroyd on the Ref Watch show(Image: Sky Sports)
Sky Sports were flooded with Celtic fans seeking an explanation as to why Emmanuel Fernandez wasn’t sent off for an elbow in Saturday’s defeat to Rangers.
But Ref Watch mainstay Dermot Gallagher was on hand to insist a booking was the correct decision – claiming there was no intent from Fernandez to hurt Arne Engels in the controversial incident.
Rangers won 3-1 at Parkhead on Saturday and, for a change, there weren’t too many refereeing flashpoints to pore over. The only one of real note came in the opening minutes when referee Steven McLean cautioned Fernandez after a coming together on the touchline with Engels, when he did appear to catch the Celtic midfielder in the face with a trailing arm.
Kevin Clancy on VAR opted not to intervene and, speaking exclusively to Record Sport, former ref Des Roache believed Fernandez was saved only by Engels tugging at his shirt as the contact was made.
The clip was shown to Gallagher and former striker Jay Bothroyd on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch show this morning and the presenter opened the segment by revealing they’d been inundated with Celtic fans asking why it wasn’t a red card.
He said: “We’ve had quite a few Celtic fans asking the question whether Rangers and their defender Emmanuel Fernandez were lucky to escape punishment for this, inverted commas, elbow on on Arne Engels…”
But when it was put to Gallagher for an explanation, he said: “I thought yellow card. I don’t think he swings an elbow. He’s almost pushing him off. He feels him, he’s trying to get him back but it’s not as if he’s fired it off as a weapon.
“I thought the referee dealt with this game really, really well.”
Bothroyd added: “I’ve been in that situation before, and when you feel the defender behind you, you’re trying to fight him off. But as Dermot says, he hasn’t swung an elbow into his face. He’s caught him, but it’s definitely not a red card.”
Our man Roache though did concede Fernandez could easily have seen red. Roache, who joined us on our LIVE blog for the game, said: “Now I’ve seen that incident between Fernandez and Engels back a few times, he was very lucky.
“I think Engels pulling at him and making him off balance is what saved him. However on many other occasions this could very easily have been a red card for Fernandez.
“Extremely fortunate. You can’t just throw out an elbow.”