Dermot Gallagher looks back at Erik Lamela's red card, Alexandre Lacazette's penalty and Harry Kane's bodycheck as Arsenal beat Tottenham, plus Mason Holgate's potential handball in Everton's defeat to Burnley and Darnell Furlong's as West Brom lost at Crystal Palace
Monday 15 March 2021 18:02, UK
In the latest edition of Ref Watch, former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher assesses the key incidents from the weekend's games, including a controversial penalty in Arsenal's north London derby victory.
INCIDENT: Alexandre Lacazette hits an air shot in the Tottenham penalty area. Davinson Sanchez slides in on the forward, at which point he goes down. Michael Oliver awards a penalty, which Lacazette scores.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Not a penalty - but VAR cannot overturn Oliver's decision.
DERMOT SAYS: "I think Lacazette did a very interesting interview after the match where he said he felt he was very lucky to get it. I'd agree with him.
"The problem is Michael Oliver is behind the play. He sees Sanchez come across with his boot high, I don't think he sees the air shot. I think he thinks it's Sanchez connecting with Lacazette, takes him down, that's why he gives a penalty.
"He then relays to the VAR what he's seen, how he's seen it, and I think that's backed Paul Tierney into a corner. I don't think he can ask him to go to the monitor because you can't re-referee the football match.
"I think it's just a bit of a glitch in the process, because the referee's made an on-field decision, and the VAR can't re-referee the situation, they've got to stick with the on-field decision. But it's very, very lucky.
"Lacazette's gone to play the ball in the air, Sanchez has come across to block, he's a defender, that's what he's trying to do, and Lacazette's momentum has taken him into Sanchez."
INCIDENT: Erik Lamela, already on a yellow card, catches Kieran Tierney in the face with his arm and is shown a second booking before being sent off.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct decision.
DERMOT SAYS: "You run a massive risk doing this at any time in the game, especially already on a yellow card.
"He was trying to hold him off, but if you throw your arm up there and catch someone on the throat, you're going to get a yellow card. I don't think he can have any problems with that whatsoever."
INCIDENT: Harry Kane bodyslams into Gabriel late after the ball is gone, but nothing is given.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Yellow card.
DERMOT SAYS: "I think it's aggressive, I don't think it's dangerous or endangering Gabriel's safety, a yellow card would sit about right but it's definitely not a red card.
"If someone got a red card for that, we'd be making more of a story about it than we are now."
INCIDENT: Ben Mee rises above Mason Holgate from a corner, and appeals for a penalty when the ball appears to strike the Everton defender's arm. A goal kick is given and VAR does not intervene.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct decision.
DERMOT SAYS: "I think there's a number of things to look at here. Is Holgate's arm trapped, is Ben Mee climbing over him.
"What I would say is if the referee is sent over to the screen, he retains options, he can give a penalty, he can go with his on-field decision of goal kick, or give a foul.
"I think he would err on a foul by Ben Mee, that he's climbing on his back, he's trapped his arm, so I don't think you could give a penalty."
INCIDENT: Darnell Furlong leans into Wilfried Zaha's delivery, which strikes him on the arm in his own area. A VAR review awards Crystal Palace a penalty, after checking the incident and a potential offside in the build-up.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct decision.
DERMOT SAYS: "This is where VAR works perfectly. The arm's out, the referee hasn't got the view we have, he's leaning into the ball, it's picked up by VAR, it's clear it's a penalty, and the offside is cleared as well.
"The process worked perfectly, right decision, right restart."
