Dermot Gallagher gives his verdict in Ref Watch following an incident-packed London derby between Chelsea and Tottenham, which saw Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte sent off; he also takes a look at West Ham's disallowed goal at Nottingham Forest as David Moyes' side lost again
Monday 15 August 2022 20:05, UK
Dermot Gallagher dissects the big flashpoints from the weekend's Premier League action.
INCIDENT: Tottenham equaliser for 1-1 - was an offside Richarlison interfering with play?
VERDICT: Possibly.
DERMOT SAYS: The logic here is that the VAR will have been asked to decide if he is impacting on the goalkeeper. You think yes, I think possibly, they think no. Their logic is that the ball comes a long way, he's a long way away from the goalkeeper, there was also a nick off Kalidou Koulibaly. With all of that factored in the VAR felt the goal stood, that's the logic. I can understand how they have arisen at that decision, I can understand why people would be angry at that.
Stephen Warnock: For me, he is interfering. He is in the vicinity, he is in the eyeline of (Edouard) Mendy, I think he is leaning to the left to see around. The one that interests me is the distance from goal. This isn't kids' football, this is the Premier League, the elite league, where players strike the ball at a speed. For me, Richarlison is active. I know they say he isn't, but he is, he's on the pitch. This is the rule which drives me insane. He's in and around the penalty area and around the vicinity of the goal.
INCIDENT: Was it a foul on Kai Havertz 44 seconds before Tottenham's equaliser for 1-1.
VERDICT: Yes, it was a foul, but VAR cannot go back that far.
DERMOT SAYS: Definitely. The referee is the clue here, he points at the ball and says he took the ball. He plays for the ball, but he takes the man instead. The referee quite clearly says no foul. The game goes on 44 seconds, but you are never going to go back that far. It's a consequence rather than the incident itself.
INCIDENT: Should VAR have given Cristian Romero a red card for his hair pull on Marc Cucurella ahead of Spurs' equaliser?
VERDICT: The VAR should have intervened - it was a red card and a free-kick to Chelsea.
DERMOT SAYS: I think the VAR should intervene. I'm not sure the referee has seen it, I think he looks down but I think he does it instinctively. I think he watches the flight of the ball. He does look down, but I think it has already happened. The VAR has the perfect look. As soon as I saw it, I said, 'I think he is going to get a red card here, he's pulled him down by the hair'. I anticipated the VAR sending Anthony Taylor to the screen. I know for a fact that if Anthony had been sent to the screen, he would have given a red card and a free-kick to Chelsea.
INCIDENT: Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte red cards after handshake.
VERDICT: Red cards were inevitable.
DERMOT SAYS: I think in view of what had happened, they were both on yellow cards, and you see all that happened afterwards and what it leads to, I think it was inevitable that two red cards were going to come out for the managers.
INCIDENT: Tuchel running out of his technical area, already on a booking.
VERDICT: Should have been a second booking.
DERMOT SAYS: I was surprised he didn't get a second yellow card. I think the feeling from the officials was that it wasn't inflammatory, it was a celebration. It's not a wise thing to do, I think he was lucky. But he got punished in the end.
INCIDENT: Was it right for Said Benrahma's goal to be disallowed for Michail Antonio's push on Orel Mangala.
VERDICT: Foul, right call to disallow the goal.
DERMOT SAYS: I watched this and didn't think it was a foul, and I've seen it again, and I can see why they've given it because he absolutely pole-axes him. He changes direction and leads with his arms. Mangala has no chance of getting out of the way, and he absolutely does run into him.
Stephen Warnock: The block stops him from going out to close down Declan Rice and that is where the issue lies. I do believe it is the right decision.
INCIDENT: Scott McKenna booked for handball to give West Ham a penalty - could it have been a red card?
VERDICT: VAR does really well, it is not the denial of a goal.
DERMOT SAYS: This is what VAR is all about here, the ref doesn't see it, but he clearly handballs it. But the goalkeeper is also diving for the ball. I thought the VAR was very good, because it directed the referee to the handball, but it also said the goalkeeper is diving behind. So it isn't necessarily the denial of a goal. I think that was a perfect scenario of what the VAR is for. if the goalkeeper hadn't been there, it would have been a red card.
INCIDENT: Should Jamie Vardy's penalty against Arsenal have been overturned by VAR?
VERDICT: It was the right call not to give a penalty.
DERMOT SAYS: Definitely the right decision, this a really good example of VAR again. Aaron Ramsdale actually pulls up, and it's Vardy going into him. I understand why on first look the official gives a penalty, but the VAR seeing what we see now recommends that he goes across. I don't think there should have been a yellow card for Vardy for diving.
