Ex-Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher analyses several incidents, including a plethora of eyebrow-raising decisions in Man Utd’s 1-0 defeat at Newcastle United at St James’ Park, as well as a highly contentious call at the City Ground on Saturday Night Football
Former referee Dermot Gallagher dissects the flashpoints from the latest round of the 2023/24 Premier League season, including a controversial late call at the Etihad on Super Sunday.
Man City 3-3 Tottenham Hotspur
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has his say on Simon Hooper’s late decision in the dramatic game between Manchester City and Tottenham.
INCIDENT: Simon Hooper pulls play back late on when Jack Grealish is in behind the Spurs defence, having initially given Man City the advantage. The scores were 3-3 at the Etihad.
DERMOT’S VERDICT: Technically, by law, he hasn’t done anything wrong.
DERMOT SAYS: “Difficult because this is a lad who I’d say plays advantage more than anybody. He quite rightly plays on and for whatever reason Simon then blows up.
“If he’d have waited a second later the whole landscape changes. Technically, by law, he hasn’t done anything wrong. It is the ref’s choice to play advantage, not anybody else.”
Stephen Warnock: “I accept human error but it is a big error from Simon Hooper. He will be devastated looking back at that.”
Chelsea 3-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
INCIDENT: Chelsea captain Conor Gallagher is shown a second yellow card after a tackle from behind on Brighton midfielder Billy Gilmour.
DERMOT’S VERDICT: Correct decision.
DERMOT SAYS: “I think so [it is a second yellow] because of the nature of the tackle. It is a yellow card, he does win the ball eventually, but he certainly gets the man first. It is not a nice tackle and he had already been yellow carded, so it is not the wisest decision to make at that point.”
INCIDENT: Brighton’s James Milner brings down Mykhailo Mudryk in the box when through on goal to give Chelsea a penalty. Milner was yellow carded rather than sent off.
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher analyses the decision to award Chelsea with a penalty following James Milner’s challenge on Mykhailo Mudryk.
The on-field decision was not to award a penalty. The referee Craig Pawson overturned his call after being sent to the monitor.
DERMOT’S VERDICT: Both correct decisions.
DERMOT SAYS: “It’s clumsy. It is a penalty. Also, it’s a good intervention by VAR. Because he goes with his feet, it is difficult under the directives to send a player off for a tripping action.
“It’s clumsy. I don’t think it is a red card. It’s much easier to send a player off when he has pushed somebody or pulled somebody’s shirt because he has not played the ball.
“If someone makes a genuine attempt to play the ball it is only a yellow card. It is difficult to say he hasn’t made an attempt to play the ball because he goes with his feet.”
Stephen Warnock: “First thing – is it clear and obvious? Don’t think it is, so don’t think it should have been overturned. I am still torn over whether it is a penalty.”
Sue Smith: “I do think it is a penalty but not a red card because he makes an attempt to play the ball.”
Liverpool 4-3 Fulham
INCIDENT: Trent Alexander-Arnold’s late winner against Fulham is allowed to stand despite a coming together in the box between Kostas Tsimikas and Bobby Decordova-Reid.
DERMOT’S VERDICT: Correct decision.
DERMOT SAYS: “I think not [a foul], the players’ bodies come together, it is not as if he has gone in and pushed him, or gone in leaning in on him. I do not think it is a foul and you are going to struggle to convince me…”
Bournemouth 2-2 Aston Villa
INCIDENT: Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo pulled back the shirt of Aston Villa’s Leon Bailey when already booked.
Referee Thomas Brammall could not see the pull and VAR cannot intervene to award a yellow card.
DERMOT’S VERDICT: Wrong decision.
DERMOT SAYS: “He is the luckiest man in Bournemouth not to be sent off for that.”
Newcastle United 1-0 Manchester United
INCIDENT: Man Utd’s Diogo Dalot kicks the ball into his own arm in the box against Newcastle but no penalty was awarded.
DERMOT’S VERDICT: Correct decision.
DERMOT SAYS: “Newcastle fans will feel they have been penalised twice [after the incident at PSG]. The one last Tuesday was an error, this wasn’t.
“He kicks the ball and it flies up off his arm, very much like it did on Tuesday night. This wasn’t a penalty but neither was Tuesday’s.”
INCIDENT: Newcastle’s Fabian Schar is eventually booked for a challenge on Bruno Fernandes which sees him stamp on his foot. Play had initially been allowed to go on.
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher gives his verdict on Fabian Schar’s late challenge on Bruno Fernandes.
DERMOT’S VERDICT: Yellow card, but not a red.
DERMOT SAYS: “Certainly shouldn’t have been play on. He is reaching for the ball and comes through and stands on his foot.
“So I think it is low enough for a yellow. If it was above his ankle and his shin then a red card.”
INCIDENT: Antony’s strike against Newcastle is disallowed because it strikes an offside Harry Maguire on its way into the net.
DERMOT’S VERDICT: Correct decision.
DERMOT SAYS: “He [Maguire] would not be in line with the goalkeeper – he is penalised because he touched the ball, so he interferes with play.
“It is interesting as he knows straight away, he knows it has hit him, Antony does not as he goes away to celebrate, but he does not realise it has hit him and gone straight in.
“The ‘keeper may well have saved it, we do not know, but once it has hit him and gone straight in the net, it was always going to be disallowed.”
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Everton
INCIDENT: The VAR [Michael Oliver] decides not to award Nottingham Forest a penalty after Abdoulaye Doucoure pulls Ryan Yates’s shirt in the penalty box.
Jamie Redknapp believes Abdoulaye Doucoure blatantly fouled Ryan Yates in the penalty area.
DERMOT’S VERDICT: Wrong decision.
DERMOT SAYS: “I think it is a penalty for three reasons. Firstly, he never once looks at the ball, he is not interested in the ball. Secondly, I think he has his shirt for far too long, he should just feel for him, then let him go. And thirdly, he trips him as well, so I think it is a penalty.”
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
