Moussa Sissoko received the first red card of his Watford career – proving it certainly wasn’t a Good Friday for the midfielder.
The ex-Tottenham Hotspur star was given two quickfire yellow cards in the space of just a minute in his side’s 2-1 defeat against Burnley at Vicarage Road.
Tom Cleverley’s side were attempting to keep their faint play-off hopes alive against the Championship table-toppers, but it all went wrong on the hour mark.
Hosts Watford took an early eighth minute lead through Mamadou Doumbia, but Burnley struck back before the break with a Zian Flemming equaliser.
Josh Brownhill then made it 2-1 to the visitors in the 58th minute, and Sissoko was booked in the aftermath.
Then, just as the teams were getting ready to kick-off again, the 35-year-old veteran was pushed back into his own half by Flemming.
He then responded with an almighty shove on the Dutchman, and out came the red card.
Commenting on the incident live, talkSPORT commentator Olly Clink said: “It’s Moussa Sissoko who is walking off the pitch with a second yellow card.
“Flemming was the man on the floor, what an absolutely astonishing turn of events here and Watford are down to ten men.
“We’ve just seen a replay, Moussa Sissoko for absolutely no reason shoves the Burnley player to the ground and earns a red card. That is ridiculous.”
West Ham icon Alvin Martin then added: “It is. And Flemming has been given a yellow card as well.
“I can’t understand why, he’s the one that has been pushed to the floor, why has he been given a yellow card?
Sky SportsBut the walk of shame had already begun for Sissoko[/caption]
“But as you said, it’s ridiculous for him [Sissoko] to do that on the halfway line. Tom Cleverley will be absolutely disgusted with him.”
Clink concluded by saying: “The Watford captain with an absolute moment of madness.”
To make matters worse for Watford, Edo Kayembe then tried to match his teammate’s stupidity, picking up two yellows in three minutes to put the Hornets down to nine men – and ultimately leaving them 12th in the table.
For Sissoko, it was his third second yellow sending off, having never seen a straight red in his professional career.
However, Newcastle fans won’t be too surprised, as Sissoko managed the feat twice while playing for them in the 2014/15 season.
He received a double yellow against West Ham in November that campaign, and then again versus Liverpool in April.
That didn’t stop Spurs signing him a year later for £30million, although fans of the north London side have similarly bad memories.
Despite a very respectable career that saw the team challenge for the Premier League under Mauricio Pochettino, Sissoko’s most infamous moment came in the 2019 Champions League final.
A loose hand in the penalty area blocked a Sadio Mane cross in the second minute and Liverpool then cruised to a simple 2-0 win.
