Heung-Min Son and Juan Foyth red cards for Tottenham at Bournemouth also analysed, plus incidents at Arsenal, Everton and Plymouth
Monday 6 May 2019 20:46, UK
Dermot Gallagher explains why Trent Alexander-Arnold wasn't sent off for deliberate handball in this week's Ref Watch.
Speaking on the weekly feature on Sky Sports News, former Premier League referee Gallagher provided his view on each of the weekend's big talking points in the Premier League.
INCIDENT: Matt Ritchie's ball inside was turned towards goal by Salomon Rondon and struck Trent Alexander-Arnold's arm on the goal line. Play was allowed to continue as Christian Atsu converted the rebound.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct, but Alexander-Arnold should have been booked.
DERMOT SAYS: The offence he would have been guilty of was denying a goal - but that didn't happen, as Atsu scored from the rebound. The referee hasn't got time to whistle to give a penalty.
What would have put a lid on it would have been if Alexander-Arnold was yellow carded for handball. For some reason, the referee didn't book him - that's the only punishment he could have received. He hasn't denied a goal, so the referee can't send him off. It was fortuitous for both, as would Newcastle want a goal chalked off?
INCIDENT: Heung-Min Son was sent off for the first time since October 2014, when he was at Bayer Leverkusen, after shoving Jefferson Lerma shortly before half-time.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct call.
DERMOT SAYS: It's unfortunate as he's gone to grab the ball but Lerma has kicked it away from him. Son puts his hand in Lerma's face and pushes him over. The referee has got no choice but to show the red.
INCIDENT: A Spurs reshuffle at the break saw Juan Foyth introduced, only for him to follow Son down the tunnel less than three minutes later when he lunged into a high tackle on Jack Simpson.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct call.
DERMOT SAYS: I don't believe Foyth went to hurt Simpson. But it's a very, very bad tackle. There's nothing a referee can do other than give a red card.
INCIDENT: Eric Dier was perhaps lucky to stay on the pitch when, already booked, he tackled Joshua King from behind but the referee deemed it a fair challenge.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Second yellow, but so difficult for the referee.
DERMOT SAYS: The dilemma here is that the referee can't be sure. He knows if he gives foul, Dier then gets a second booking. He's got to be convinced he hasn't got the ball. We had to get the microscope out to see that it was King that got to the ball first. It's such a difficult one. It should be a second yellow but from the referee's point of view, it isn't that simple.
INCIDENT: Nacho Monreal tangles with Alireza Jahanbakhsh just inside the area. Referee Anthony Taylor is right on the scene and awards a penalty.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: No penalty.
DERMOT SAYS: I didn't think it was but the referee has got the best view. I didn't think the player made contact but if they have, it wasn't enough to take him down.
INCIDENT: Ashley Westwood launched into a crunching tackle on Morgan Schneiderlin in the first half and, after seeing the injury to the Everton midfielder, referee Chris Kavanagh gave Westwood a yellow card. But should it have been more?
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Yellow card.
DERMOT SAYS: I think this is a consequence of two players stretching for the ball. They are both low and both lunging for the ball. It's not a nasty tackle.
INCIDENT: Scunthorpe scored a controversial second on the hour as Argyle's injured on-loan keeper Matt Macey tried to roll the ball out to the touchline. Josh Morris intercepted the ball and looped it over the keeper into the far corner.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Difficult one.
DERMOT SAYS: The referee could have had a 'get out of jail' card as you can't play without a goalkeeper. The goalkeeper had signalled he was injured, so the referee had the opportunity to blow his whistle. It wasn't very nice for the Scunthorpe player to do that.
