Bolton Wanderers midfielder Xavier Simons was sent off for punching an opponent during his side's Carabao Cup tie against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.
Simons, 23, connected with Harry Gray's midriff after the Sheffield Wednesday player had pulled him back as he tried to break forward. The incident happened with the score level at 0-0 early in the second half.
Gray, the brother of Tottenham Hotspur's Archie Gray, fell to the ground after the blow, sparking a melee before referee Elliot Bell showed Simons a red card.
Wednesday capitalize on red card
Sheffield Wednesday went on to win the match 1-0, with Jamal Lowe scoring the decisive goal in the 70th minute.
Bolton manager Steven Schumacher was critical of the moment, though he stopped short of publicly condemning his player. "From the angle I've seen it from this side, it looks like Xav has reacted and lashed out, which he knows you can't do," Schumacher said. "It's a poor decision, and it's a decision that you wouldn't expect from him. It's the first time I've seen him do that since he's been here, and I'm sure he'll be disappointed with it."
Simons' career path to Bolton
Simons spent five years in Chelsea's academy after joining from Brentford, and played once for the Chelsea first team during the 2021-22 season. He later played for Hull City and had loan spells at Fleetwood and Wycombe before joining Bolton from Hull ahead of last season.
He played a key role as Bolton were promoted from League One last season, beating Stockport County in the play-off final. The Trotters are back in the Championship for the first time since 2019.
