I don't really see it as escalation at all because he didn't punch him. It wasn't an aggressive push meant to be more, it was more a 'get out of my face' push.
Anyway, accepting your definition of escalation, why is instigation a lesser crime than escalation?
What's the difference between pushing someone in the chest and the face?
I'm not trying to be a dick or trolling, I'm just curious.
There's nothing specific in the laws about this, it's always subjective to the referee and the context. I've seen plenty of pushes in the face that has resulted in yellow cards being given.
A quick glance at twitter shows a pretty even split between people who feel it's a sending off and people who feel it's not. I'm not saying twitter is a good judge but I think it shows that there isn't really any consensus on this, which is why I thought the sending off was unfair.
Just my opinion, man. We're not competing with you or Villa, so I have no dog in this fight.