Sunday 1 April 2018 06:44, UK
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher says Liverpool forward Sadio Mane should have been sent off against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
The visitors came from behind to win the game 2-1 at Selhurst Park, with Mane equalising for Jurgen Klopp's side four minutes after half-time.
However, the Senegalese - who had already been booked for simulation in the first half - was fortunate not to get a second yellow card for a deliberate handball on the hour-mark.
Referee Neil Swarbrick decided not to caution the player again though, and Liverpool went on to win the game late on thanks to Mo Salah's 29th Premier League goal of the season.
"It was the right decision in the end," Gallagher told Sky Sports.
"There is minimal contact, he does not go down and then has the ball at his feet and decides then to prop himself up in the air.
"A little bit of contact, he is on his feet and it is at this point that he throws his legs in the air. And if you watch the referee, I do not think he has a clear view of it.
"But the assistant has fed him the information and between the,m I think they are quite right to give a yellow card."
"I think not because when you see it, it is so obvious that the little touch has not put him on the ground and he has thrown himself in the air. His knees have buckled in the air and he has gone down," said Gallagher.
"Everybody's expectation would be a yellow card for simulation. It is obvious it is not a penalty, it is a simulation and a yellow card."
"Well I think the decision is whether it is clear and obvious and for me, it is not a clear and obvious error anyway," Gallagher said. "The referee has quite clearly got the right decision and the right decision being minimal contact, no penalty, yellow card for simulation.
"And the door is closed and the VAR is not needed."
"The easy thing is to give a free-kick to Mane to be honest and that was what it was in my opinion," said Gallagher.
"And if it had of been a free-kick to Liverpool, I would not be sat here talking to you now.
"But if you watch the situation, Neil has gone to the point, Mane goes out the back door and he gets lost.
"And in all of that the referee just loses a little bit of focus on who has done what. But you can see he has quite clearly flicked the ball away from both [Andros] Townsend and [Yohan] Cabaye, who would have had a chance to advance on goal.
"The expectation really is a second yellow card. The referee does not stop the game for a foul to Liverpool, so it is still going on and he [Mane] has to just continue as though nothing has happened.
"And effectively the only offence that occurred was by Mane himself. But as he has quite deliberately grabbed the ball away from Townsend and Cabaye, I think a second yellow card should follow.
"But for whatever reason, it didn't. I, though, would have expected him to be sent off for the second offence a deliberate handball like that."
