Tuesday 1 May 2018 07:11, UK
As always, there were a number of hotly-disputed decisions in the Premier League over the weekend. Not to worry, though, as we have Dermot Gallagher here to run his eye over those big calls.
So whether it is spot kicks and red cards not given, or 'goals' disallowed for offside, the former top-flight official gives us his verdict...
INCIDENT: Mohamed Salah appears to strike out at Bruno Martins Indi.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct decision, no red card.
DERMOT SAYS: I would be astonished if that got processed for two reasons: a) he has flicked out, I will admit that, but b) if you look at it again, the referee [Andre Marriner] is looking directly at it and he could not be better placed, it is uninterrupted.
INCIDENT: Danny Ings' first-half strike is ruled out for offside.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct decision, offside.
DERMOT SAYS: This is a really excellent call and I tell you why it is: a) because it rebounds off a defender, it does not get played by the defender and b) when you see it sideways on, the VAR would have spotted this, but that is an unbelievable spot to be that far ahead when that shot goes in and to realise that.
INCIDENT: Erik Pieters handles Georginio Wijnaldum's cross late on at Anfield.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct decision, no penalty.
DERMOT SAYS: This will divide opinion - I do not think it is a penalty because as the season has gone on, I think handball has become a lot more consistent with the referees. And this falls into what we have seen in the last 36 weeks in that referees have not been giving them. What I would say is that a lot of people I worked with on Saturday said it is a penalty because it came a long way and he had time to get out of the way. But I think that ball came very, very fast and so I would give him the benefit of the doubt there. And consistently over 36 weeks, that is what we have come to expect.
INCIDENT: Marcus Rashford sees a late 'goal' ruled out for offside.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct decision, offside.
DERMOT SAYS: This is an unbelievable decision because it came at such speed. And what you have to remember is his focus will be on Marouane Fellaini, the ball comes back off the post. He then has a snapshot in his mind of where was Rashford when he played the ball. And that is what he has done fantastically and it was quite rightly disallowed, but easy watching on the video.
INCIDENT: Granit Xhaka, already on a yellow, escapes a second caution for handball.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct decision, not handball.
DERMOT SAYS: I was not convinced it was handball - it may have struck his chest - the referee [Kevin Friend] did not give handball either, he gave a throw in. It would have been very difficult for the referee to see that because he is inside, so he gave a throw in and just played on.
INCIDENT: Alexis Sanchez trips Ainsley Maitland-Niles just on the edge of the box.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Wrong decision, free kick.
DERMOT SAYS: I think it was a foul, but it was outside the penalty area. The referee does not consider it was a foul and the contact is made outside the penalty area.
INCIDENT: Raheem Sterling is brought down in the box by Aaron Cresswell.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Wrong decision, penalty.
DERMOT SAYS: Absolutely a penalty. When I look at it, I actually think it is quite an easy penalty to give because the player goes in, the ball changes direction. And if Cresswell had got the ball, it would probably have gone out for a corner. So I think he has gone in, taken him down and it should have been a penalty. The referee [Neil Swarbrick] did not see it and he actually gave a handball against Sterling for trying to referee the game.
