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Ref Watch: Sympathy with VAR over Saints goal, but no red for Fernandinho

Plus analysis of possible moving balls, red cards, handballs, offsides and encroachment at penalties

Fernandinho Man City
Image: Chris Kavanagh was right not to give Man City's Fernandinho a second yellow against Newcastle

Officials admitted Danny Ings' equaliser for Southampton against Watford should have been disallowed, but Dermot Gallagher has sympathy for the VAR.

In this week's Ref Watch, Dermot runs through the biggest decisions, including a potential red card for Norwich in their 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Super Sunday, and discusses whether Man City's Fernandinho should have seen red for a second yellow card against Newcastle.

Dermot also discusses the alleged homophobic chanting from West Ham fans to Chelsea fans on Saturday, and outlines just what the rules are regarding encroachment in the penalty area from spot-kicks.

Southampton 2-1 Watford

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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Southampton's win over Watford in the Premier League

INCIDENT: Moussa Djenepo handles the ball as he gets past Jose Cholevas before squaring for Danny Ings to equalise for Southampton in a relegation six-pointer. VAR later admitted that they had not spotted the handball, and that broadcasters had taken eight minutes to spot it.

DERMOT SAYS: This is the biggest talking point from Saturday. What I would say is, I watched this game live, and it never crossed my mind at the time that anything was wrong. Someone said to me there may be a handball, so we searched and searched all of the different angles, and it took me eight minutes to find the angle which showed it was a conclusive handball. Unfortunate, and can only say sorry that the VAR didn't pick it up - I would have great sympathy for him - but it is impractical to wait eight minutes to find the angle. We get all sorts of outside broadcast angles coming in, and eight minutes later we found it.

Moussa Djenepo SCREENGRAB
Image: Moussa Djenepo helped the ball on with his hand ahead of Saints' equaliser against Watford on Saturday

Newcastle 2-2 Man City

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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from the 2-2 draw between Newcastle and Manchester City in the Premier League

INCIDENT: On a yellow card, Fernandinho fouls Javier Manquillo on the edge of the Man City box. Referee Chris Kavanagh gives a foul, but no second yellow.

DERMOT SAYS: I think no second yellow. I think he's showing him the line, trying to ease him out with his body. I'd be very surprised if a player is sent off for a second yellow for that. You want to send someone off for an absolute yellow card.

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Norwich 2-2 Arsenal

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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Norwich's draw against Arsenal in the Premier League

INCIDENT: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's spot-kick is saved by Tim Krul, but it is ordered to be retaken after Max Aarons encroached and cleared the ball following Krul's save.

DERMOT SAYS: Max Aarons has encroached, and has a direct impact on the outcome, as he's the player who has cleared the ball, stopping an Arsenal player coming in. If an Arsenal player was first to meet it, and put it over the bar, I'd suggest they would give a goal kick. The ref would have to decide who has encroached - if there was encroachment, but a player who hadn't encroached had cleared the ball first, it wouldn't have been retaken.

INCIDENT: Kenny McLean's tackle on Matteo Guendouzi - with studs up and over the ball - is penalised only by a yellow card by Paul Tierney.

Kenny McLean only saw yellow for a studs-up challenge on Matteo Guendouzi
Image: Kenny McLean only saw yellow for a studs-up challenge on Matteo Guendouzi

DERMOT SAYS: I think if he'd have got sent off, he couldn't complain. This is right on the cusp, some would send off, some would give a yellow.

Liverpool 2-1 Brighton

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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Norwich's draw against Arsenal in the Premier League

INCIDENT: Lewis Dunk takes a quick free-kick while Liverpool goalkeeper Adrian is at his left post arranging his wall. Martin Atkinson is the referee.

DERMOT SAYS: I think Lewis Dunk is very clever - he's seen Adrian on his post, and has said to Martin Atkinson: 'I want a go.' If you see Martin, he moves away, whistles, indicates he can take the free-kick, and they score. It's within the law and it is clever.

Chelsea 0-1 West Ham

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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from West Ham's win over Chelsea in the Premier League

INCIDENT: The ball hits Fabian Balbuena's hand after Olivier Giroud's flick in the area. No penalty is given by Jonathan Moss or VAR.

DERMOT SAYS: I think he would be desperately unlucky to have a penalty given against him here. He's far too close. I don't even think he has time. His arm is down by his side.

INCIDENT: West Ham fans have been accused of homophobic chanting at Stamford Bridge. LGBT supporters groups Chelsea Pride and Pride of Irons highlighted the "Chelsea Rent Boys" chant on social media - and the Chelsea Supporters Trust agreed it was "continuous" during the 1-0 away victory. We've seen referees in France and England stop games for this, so what is the protocol for referees, and why wasn't the game stopped on this occasion?

DERMOT SAYS: It might be easy to hear for you to hear on the terraces, but it is not easy for the referee. You're in the middle of the park, in an atmosphere like that, the noise is a cacophony, and you're not concentrating on that, you're concentrating on the field, because that is the priority. It is brought to the referee's attention - as it was when Wycombe played Tranmere a few weeks ago, and he dealt with it - and the refs know they have the step process of dealing with things. If that was reported to the referee, he would then follow the procedure, and it would go to the FA.

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