Were Celtic Denied Another Penalty at Ibrox?Celtic may feel they were denied another key penalty at Ibrox after an early incident involving Liam Scales.

The flashpoint came in the 11th minute, with Rangers already 1–0 up.

 

As a corner was whipped into the box, Scales made a run towards the front-post area where the ball was clearly heading. However, Rangers’ No.42, Chukwuani, wrapped both arms around the Celtic defender and wrestled him to the ground.The flashpoint came in the 11th minute, with Rangers already 1–0 up.

 

As a corner was whipped into the box, Scales made a run towards the front-post area where the ball was clearly heading. However, Rangers’ No.42, Chukwuani, wrapped both arms around the Celtic defender and wrestled him to the ground.

 

Crucially, the hold prevented Scales from attacking the delivery. The fact he never reached the ball is the issue, he was stopped from doing so. Yet neither the referee nor VAR intervened.

The incident felt eerily familiar. Just a week earlier against Hibernian, Scales was also denied a penalty after having his shirt pulled in the box, with the explanation later offered that he was not held for long enough. That same logic appears to have been applied again here!

 

Celtic would go on to fall 2–0 behind by the 26th minute, making the lack of intervention even more costly. While Martin O’Neill’s side produced a spirited and unexpected second-half comeback to salvage a point, questions will again be asked about consistency in decision-making.

 

If shirt pulls and grappling that clearly stop a player from attacking the ball do not meet the threshold for a penalty, Celtic, and others, are entitled to ask what does.

As a corner was whipped into the box, Scales made a run towards the front-post area where the ball was clearly heading. However, Rangers’ No.42, Chukwuani, wrapped both arms around the Celtic defender and wrestled him to the ground.

 

Crucially, the hold prevented Scales from attacking the delivery. The fact he never reached the ball is the issue, he was stopped from doing so. Yet neither the referee nor VAR intervened.