The top four were all involved in contentious penalty decisions over the weekend - Dermot Gallagher has his say on the latest Ref Watch...
Tuesday 14 December 2021 06:03, UK
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher dissects the big flashpoints from the weekend's action, with a plethora of controversial penalty calls involving the top four on the agenda...
INCIDENT: Man City are awarded a penalty after Bernardo Silva's cross hits Joao Moutinho's armpit, with Jon Moss and the VAR adjudging the ball to have hit enough of the midfielder's arm.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: I can understand Jon Moss giving it because he sees the arm in the air and he sees how tight it is to his arm. I did anticipate when it went to the VAR [Andre Marriner] it would be overturned, but I think they felt it had brushed the arm. I was not convinced, I thought it hit him in the ribs and if it hits his arm, it hits him on the sleeve underneath.
So for me, it was not a penalty, but the VAR felt there was a chance it brushed his arm and they went with the referee's decision.
Stephen Warnock: This one really infuriated me, this one is such a disappointing decision because for me, it is clear it hits his ribs and it ricochets and if it does strike the arm at some point, it is off the ribs on to the arm.
But we cannot even see if it goes on to the arm or the sleeve line and I was gobsmacked when it did not get overturned, I could not believe it. We talk about clear and obvious - well, it is not obvious it has hit his arm.
INCIDENT: Liverpool are given a penalty after Tyrone Mings hauls down Mo Salah in the box.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: It was clumsy, he chases him in and catches him and in that situation, I do not see the referee [Stuart Attwell] having any other choice than to give a penalty.
He does not get the ball, is clumsy, here is a tangle of legs - he can give it for either one (foul), but for me, it is just a clumsy tackle and once you commit to a tackle like that, you have to get the ball.
And quite clearly he does not get the ball, so the referee gives a penalty correctly for me.
INCIDENT: Alison brings down Danny Ings, but no penalty is awarded.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Two things - he [Alisson] definitely gets a touch on the ball and at that point, Ings is already struggling and going down, so no penalty.
Stephen Warnock: I thought it was a penalty and that Alisson knew he'd made a mistake and so tried to rectify the situation and once you've made one mistake, you make another.
INCIDENT: Leeds win a penalty after Marcos Alonso fouls Daniel James in the box.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Top marks to the referee [Chris Kavanagh] here as I initially thought this was a block tackle, but James gets there first and actually plays the ball through Alonso's legs and hen gets fouled.
INCIDENT: Raphinha chops Antonio Rudiger down in the box and after a VAR review, Chelsea are given a penalty.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: It is a scissors tackle and he gets him with his second leg, his trailing leg and that is what VAR Mike Dean sees that Chris Kavanagh does not, but he cleans him out.
INCIDENT: Mateusz Klich barges into the back of Rudiger and Chelsea are given a second penalty.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: It's a penalty. There is no need to make the tackle, Rudiger does what he should do, he gets between the player and the ball and the player goes through the back of him, it's a foul.
Stephen Warnock: If that was at the other end, they [Leeds] do not get it at Stamford Bridge, 100 per cent they do not get it. A 6ft 4in player should no go down like that and you will get contact when a ball comes into a penalty box like that.
But to go down in the way he did, that was poor.
INCIDENT: West Ham manager David Moyes was incensed after West Ham were not given a penalty when Craig Dawson tumbled in front of Dwight McNeil, but though VAR took a close look, the decision remained with the on-field referee
DERMOT'S VERDICT: This is all down to the VAR as Graham Scott could not give it as there was no way he could see through that crowd of players, so it gets thrown to the VAR [Jon Moss], who looks at it. I thought the VAR would give a penalty, but they felt it did not meet the threshold.
He [McNeil] is very, very lucky a penalty is not given against him.
