Graeme Souness said football ‘is a man’s game’ alongside Karen Carney

Graeme Souness stated that football ‘is a man’s game’ despite being sat next to Karen Carney after Chelsea’s draw with Tottenham.

The two London sides played out to a thrilling and physical 2-2 draw in which tensions boiled over several times, with both teams laying in heavy challenges and both managers being sent off after full-time.

Sky Sports pundits discussed the fiery stalemate in the studio after the game, with Souness and Carney in the studio alongside Jamie Carragher and David Jones.

Chelsea went ahead against Spurs after 19 minutes following a fantastic volley from Kalidou Koulibaly, who met Marc Cucurella’s corner.

Tottenham equalised after 68 minutes through Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in controversial fashion, with Kai Havertz being fouled in the build-up to the goal, but his strike standing despite the fact.

Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel were involved in a touchline fracas throughout the game, resulting in a wild celebration from Tuchel when Reece James fired Chelsea back in front after 77 minutes.

The jubilation was short-lived, though, as Spurs again got level in controversial circumstances, this time in injury time. Harry Kane headed in from an Ivan Perisic corner, although during the play, Cristian Romero appeared to foul Cucurella, pulling him down by his hair but again avoiding any punishment.

It was a brilliant game and one made even better by the raw emotions that bled into it during the contest and after the final whistle.

Souness was keen to make a point of how physical the affair was post-match, suggesting that referee Anthony Taylor had a good game and that Premier League officiating should become more lenient once again.

Likening the affair to more physical encounters of the past, Souness stated that ‘it’s a man’s game again’ due to the feisty nature of the fixture and doubled down on how he thought it was masculine, referring to ‘men at it’ in the process.

You can watch the video below.

It goes without saying that the physicality of a football match doesn’t automatically make the game more masculine.

The use of such phrases is unnecessary when analysing a game of football, at the very least.

Carney, who had to sit beside Souness, was capped 144 times for England during an illustrious career and was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2021.

A number of fans and footballers have responded to his comments online. Check out some of those responses below.

Chelsea will feel hard done by having only come away with a point following such a positive performance, and face Leeds United next time out without Tuchel on the touchline.

Tottenham, meanwhile, face Wolves and must also do without their manager, with Conte also serving a suspension due to being issued a red card.

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