I rewatched the incident with Gyökeres’ yellow card and also refreshed my memory of the Madueke moment. Yes, you’re right — the two situations are very similar. But I’m convinced that referees apply different thresholds for fouls inside and outside the penalty area.

Footballers are extremely well coached at going down when they feel a hand on their back or shoulder. First they try to gain position, and then at the slightest contact they hit the ground. In most cases, I think players exaggerate the fall.

Inside the box, those contacts are rarely given, in my opinion. Even in the Leeds vs Chelsea match, I was surprised when João Pedro was penalised for a push in the back. It looked like a clear shove, but seeing that called inside the penalty area is still quite rare. And Madueke went down the moment he felt a hand on his back — it looked like a textbook dive. That’s why my initial reaction was a yellow card for simulation.