Monday 28 September 2015 19:12, UK
Dermot Gallagher runs the rule over the weekend's big decisions, including three big offside calls at White Hart Lane...
Offside: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) v Tottenham
SCENARIO: Manchester City counter-attack and Yaya Toure slips a pass through to Kevin De Bruyne who kept his cool to slot the ball past Hugo Lloris and into the net. However, replays show he was marginally ahead of the last Tottenham defender when the ball was played.
REFEREE'S DECISION: No flag from the assistant referee, goal given.
DERMOT SAYS: "Technically he's offside but it's a very tough call. With the naked eye it's almost impossible to see, when you slow it down he is just offside but what you'd say is that the assistant is told that unless he's convinced he's offside then he has to keep his flag down. At speed no one would see that, the law says the benefit of the doubt goes to the forward."
Offside: Kyle Walker (Tottenham) v Manchester City
SCENARIO: Tottenham come forward down the right. Kyle Walker joins the attack from full-back but is at least a yard beyond the City backline when the ball is played to him by Harry Kane. His cross from the right is then only half cleared and Eric Dier fires home the equaliser from 25 yards.
REFEREE'S DECISION: Offside not given and the goal stands.
DERMOT SAYS: "It's indefensible really. The problem is that he [the assistant referee] is in the wrong position, he's not with the second rear-most defender. It's a great line on the edge of the penalty area, they're all on the line of the penalty area and Walker's past it and the assistant is in line with Walker, so he's not taken up the right position.
"It's a lapse of concentration, he's just lost focus and it happened last week at Southampton with the same assistant. He's a guy who goes out and officiates in the Champions League so he's a top official, but it's about getting him back to that point again."
Offside: Harry Kane (Tottenham) v Manchester City
SCENARIO: Tottenham have a free-kick around 25 yards from goal. Harry Kane is stood behind the wall, in advance of the the last defender. The free-kick comes back off the post and Kane is in the right place to put the ball into the empty net.
REFEREE'S DECISION: The flag stays down and a goal is awarded.
DERMOT SAYS: "Again concentration was lost and there's a couple of clues here for the assistant. When you look at Kane when the free-kick is taken, he's the only player in the penalty area and he's never, ever in an onside position."
Handball: Costel Pantilimon (Sunderland) v Manchester United
SCENARIO: Manchester United play a long ball over the top of the Sunderland defence with Anthony Martial and defender Younes Kaboul in pursuit. Costel Pantilimon races to the edge of his area but stretches outside the area to catch the ball above his own defender's head.
REFEREE'S DECISION: Free-kick given to United but no card for Pantilimon.
DERMOT SAYS: "The goalkeeper has a privilege and that is that he can handle the ball inside his penalty area. It's a great spot by the assistant. Once a 'keeper leaves the penalty area he becomes an outfield player and what you have to decide is whether he has denied a goalscoring opportunity. He hasn't because the forward has got his back turned and is unlikely to control it, so it's just a free-kick."
Penalty: Neil Taylor (Swansea) v Southampton
SCENARIO: Neil Taylor is fouled in the area by Jose Fonte as Swansea attack, they maintain possession though and Eder beats the goalkeeper to find the net.
REFEREE'S DECISION: The referee Roger East blew his whistle before Eder's shot and the penalty is awarded. Gylfi Sigurdsson scores from the spot.
DERMOT SAYS: "I think it's very complex this when you watch it because, firstly, he decides that Taylor has been fouled. It's actually the Southampton player that then clears the ball so he can't say it's advantage. Instead of going to the forward it's a Southampton player who clears it and it's at that point the referee decides there's no advantage and gives the foul and whistles.
"Unfortunately, as he whistles the ball goes through to Eder and he scores. What you would say is that it would have been a massive, massive gamble to wait that long because if Eder had put it wide and then he'd given the penalty then you open a massive can of worms."
Penalty: Allan Nyom (Watford) v Crystal Palace
SCENARIO: Wilfried Zaha has possession of the ball down the left-hand edge of the Watford area and invites a challenge from Watford full-back Allan Nyom. Zaha nicks the ball away and is brought down by Nyom.
REFEREE'S DECISION: Anthony Taylor, the referee, takes his time to assess whether it was inside the area before giving the penalty.
DERMOT SAYS: "I think it's a foul, without doubt. What was interesting was that he's had a good look at it - some of the shots it looks like it's outside the penalty area. The great thing about Anthony's position is that when the tackle is made or about to be made, he [Zaha] is just outside the penalty area but when when he gets tackled he's just inside. [The imprint of Zaha's foot] is exactly what Anthony goes to check. He's taken his time and he's got it right."
Disallowed goal: Mirco Antenucci (Leeds) v Middlesbrough
SCENARIO: A low shot comes into the box from a Leeds player and gets a slight touch off another Leeds player before falling to Mirco Antenucci, who finishes from six yards out. When the deflection off the second Leeds player occurs, Antenucci is marginally ahead of the last Boro defender. There is no flag from the linesman.
REFEREE'S DECISION: The referee was not in line with the defensive line but believed Antenucci was just offside. After consulting with his assistant, the offside was given and the goal was ruled out.
DERMOT SAYS: "I find it hard to describe without talking to the referee and the assistant about this because the assistant is in line. The original shot comes in, it's been played then by a second Leeds player to Antenucci and then it's deflected off a Middlesbrough player.
"What I would say is that the Middlesbrough player is a red herring, he doesn't matter because he has to be in control of the ball or deliberately play it back. As it is it's a deflection. If he's offside then I expect the assistant to flag and it's a very, very brave decision from the referee from his position to make that call and give the offside, correctly."
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