Monday 15 February 2016 16:53, UK
Dermot Gallagher runs the rule over a string of contentious decisions in Sunday's clashes of the title contenders...
Was Mark Clattenburg right to give Spurs a penalty at the Etihad Stadium? Should Danny Drinkwater have been sent off against Arsenal? And should Leicester have had another penalty?
Read on to find out...
MATCH: Manchester City v Tottenham, Sunday
INCIDENT: At 0-0, Tottenham are given a penalty as Danny Rose's cross is adjudged to have hit Raheem Sterling's arm. Sterling, stood just inside the area, turns his back as the cross comes in, and the ball looks to hit him under the armpit.
GALLAGHER'S VIEW: No penalty, incorrect decision
GALLAGHER SAYS: I don't think it is a penalty. I watch it, and I think it is probably in the area, and Mark Clattenburg has a perfect view.
For me, he has turned his back, it has probably hit him in the ribs as well, or had minimal contact with his arm, but the law says it has to be deliberate and I can't see how that is deliberate.
The fact he has turned his back, you can't say it is a deliberate ball because he can't actually see the ball coming.
MATCH: Arsenal v Leicester, Sunday
INCIDENT: The ball looks to hit N'Golo Kante's hand inside the area with the score at 0-0, but referee Martin Atkinson does not give a penalty.
GALLAGHER'S VIEW: No penalty, correct decision
GALLAGHER SAYS: If anything, Kante has closed his body down. I think it is too close anyhow, the ball has come so tight to him he's got no chance to come out.
He's actually bringing his hands back towards his body. It would be very harsh to give that. I don't think any referee would give that.
MATCH: Arsenal v Leicester, Sunday
INCIDENT: Wes Morgan climbs over Mesut Ozil to clear the ball, but no foul is given. The referee then plays on up the pitch, and gives advantage as Laurent Koscielny fouls Kante, before Jamie Vardy is brought down in the area by Nacho Monreal. Penalty given, and Leicester go 1-0 up.
GALLAGHER'S VIEW: Foul on Ozil to begin with, and foul on Vardy for the penalty.
GALLAGHER SAYS: I think that is a foul by Morgan on Ozil. But what I would say is that this is a great example as to why technology would be very difficult to bring in, because there are three incidents in this build-up: the foul on Ozil; the Koscielny foul advantage and the penalty.
But I do think this is a penalty. Monreal sticks his leg out, Vardy goes over, that is his run, he is clever, and that's a penalty. But if video technology was involved, how far would it go back? To the original Ozil foul?
MATCH: Arsenal v Leicester, Sunday
INCIDENT: Riyad Mahrez goes down in the area as he goes past Monreal, but no penalty is given.
GALLAGHER'S VIEW: No penalty, correct decision.
GALLAGHER SAYS: No penalty for me. If there's any contact, the forward has made it. I think Monreal has pushed the ball away actually. Absolutely correct.
MATCH: Arsenal v Leicester, Sunday
INCIDENT: Danny Simpson is given two yellow cards in quick succession. The first incident sees him block Alexis Sanchez off, while the other sees him pull back Olivier Giroud's shirt. He is sent off with Leicester 1-0 up, and eventually the Foxes lose 2-1.
GALLAGHER'S VIEW: Two yellow cards, correct decision.
GALLAGHER SAYS: Both yellow cards? Yes. For the first one he has blocked Sanchez off, Sanchez would have got around him, continued his run and maybe crossed the ball. It's what you would call 'taking one for the team'.
For the second one, there's no need to do this, when you start pulling shirts back it's not the wisest decision to make and it didn't give the referee much option.
MATCH: Arsenal v Leicester, Sunday
INCIDENT: Danny Drinkwater tackles Aaron Ramsey, touches the ball twice, but follows through on the Arsenal midfielder with a high foot. No foul is given, and Leicester say they have been informed no retrospective action can be taken because Atkinson has seen the incident and decided it was not worthy of a foul or yellow card.
GALLAGHER'S VIEW: Red card, incorrect decision.
GALLAGHER SAYS: It's a red card to be honest. I don't know why the referee hasn't given it. If he sees it at that angle, it's not one I can defend. It's a red card offence that has gone undetected.
Leicester have been told, because the referee saw it and didn't think it was worth a yellow card, they're not expecting any retrospective action.
Are they right? Retrospective action is taken if the match officials have not seen or dealt with an incident. If Martin Atkinson is convinced in his mind at the time that it isn't a foul, that's the end of the matter.
Do you agree with Dermot? Have your say by leaving a comment below or tweeting @SkyFootball...
