The Ireland international immediately knew he was in trouble.
Nathan Collins had been enjoying a fine start to his career with Wolves, but that all came crashing down at Molineux, this afternoon.
Wolves found themselves 2-0 down to Manchester City in the Saturday afternoon kick-off, after only 20 minutes. Jack Grealish bagged the City opener and Erling Haaland added to it with his 14th goal of the season.
On 35 minutes, as a ball was played down the left wing to Grealish, Collins came charging in to get the ball. The defender, who signed from Burnley during the summer, succeeded only in clattering into Grealish’s hip, with his boot dragging into the midfielder’s quad, too.
It's gone from bad to worse for Wolves…
Nathan Collins receives a straight red card for a challenge on Jack Grealish 🟥 pic.twitter.com/iPT7poYdkg
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 17, 2022
Faut être un terroriste pour faire ce genre de faute. Nathan Collins mérite bien plus qu’un rouge là-dessus.https://t.co/oW5cCssdi2
— Amaury Gonçalves (@AmauryGnclvs) September 17, 2022
Nathan Collins distraught after red card
The referee was left with no option and flashed a red card at Nathan Collins.
He made his way off the pitch, crestfallen at his mistake costing his side. Phil Foden gave a consoling pat to Collins as he marched off, and as Grealish received treatment from physios. Over on BT Sport, the commentators, Darren Fletcher and Jermaine Jenas, reflected on the Collins foul.
“Why on earth has he just done that?” Fletcher surmised that Wolves boss Bruno Lage must have been asking himself.
“He’s just lost it, for a split second,” said Jenas. “He was frustrated and it came out there.”
BBC reporter Simon Stone, reporting from the ground, wrote, ‘Nathan Collins made a slow walk to the dressing rooms, shaking his head as he went. He stopped to plead his innocence to fourth official Tony Harrington as he made his way off the field, still believing he had done nothing to warrant a red card.’
Grealish was able to resume play after his treatment and the Wolves supporters gave him a heap of stick when, in reality, he was left in a heap by that Collins challenge.
It did not take long for football fans watching on TV to find a similar challenge from a Manchester City player that resulted in a foul being awarded but no cards being show, earlier this season:
One was a straight red card resulting in player being sent off and the other DIDN'T EVEN GET A YELLOW CARD, never mind a red.
🤔🤔🤔 Which is which?? I wonder if the corrupt @premierleague could tell us. pic.twitter.com/unPILJf8vh— Jon Farmer (@JAF706) September 17, 2022
City would go on to win the game 3-0, with Phil Foden adding a third goal in the second half.
