EPL 2022: Graeme Souness man’s game, sexist comments, Karen Carney reaction, Chelsea vs Tottenham, video

Graeme Souness has come under fire after claiming football is “a man’s game all of a sudden now” after a fiery derby played out between Chelsea and Tottenham.

Speaking in the Sky Sports studio alongside ex-Lionesses star Karen Carney, Souness was reflecting on the intense draw, which ended with Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte being sent off.

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Tuchel & Conte see red in feisty derby | 00:42

“Referees are letting a lot more go and it makes for a better watch,” Souness said.

“We’ve all played the game, with simulation and people throwing themselves into the ground. I haven’t seen that in the two games today. It’s a man’s game all of a sudden now.”

When asked about the managers’ fiery encounter, Souness said “boys will be boys”.

That comment along with his earlier reference to football as a “man’s game” saw Souness come under immediate scrutiny from Carney’s former England team-mate Eniola Aluko.

“Awkward turtles, Graeme Souness talking about ‘it’s a man’s game again’ sat next to an England centurion Karen Carney, two weeks after the Lionesses end a 56 year wait and win European Championships,” she tweeted. “Come on. It’s not okay.”

Meanwhile, women’s football player Bethany England was also incensed by the comments.

“It’s a man’s game. Men at it. Get in the (bin emoji) what a disgraceful thing to say after the summer this country has just seen.”

Not everyone was outraged by Souness’ comments, with Piers Morgan taking to Twitter to defend him, sarcastically writing: “I’m outraged & disgusted that Graeme Souness used the words ‘man’s game’ when talking specifically about an incident in a man’s game played by two teams of men. Especially when we’ve all spent the past few weeks talking about the ‘women’s game.”