Ref Watch: Should Arsenal's Timber have been sent off at Spurs?

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher is back to assess the controversial moments from the weekend’s action.

Tottenham 0-1 Arsenal

INCIDENT: Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber catches Tottenham’s Pedro Porro with a late tackle and advances into the box, unaware the whistle has been blown.

DERMOT SAYS: “It was not a nice tackle. He uses the ball and goes over the top of it, but because he steps on the ball, he doesn’t gain any intensity and hasn’t got the momentum, that’s why it’s a yellow card. It’s not one where he’s gone flying through the air with a lot of force.

“It’s a lot more balanced this year. The referees have let more go. The handball law is much better and readily accepted, there’s more physical contact allowed in the game this year. After four rounds, we’ve seen a marked difference in the way the referees apply the laws.”

SUE SMITH SAYS: “This is where I think Liverpool fans would look back at the Curtis Jones one and ask why he was sent off because it was similar in that he went over the ball. I don’t think it’s a red, it’s the way he’s trying to go over the ball to try and bring it back. I’ve spoken to people and realised it’s the way people play.”

INCIDENT: Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario approaches Timber after he runs the ball out of play, with the defender appearing to grab the goalkeeper’s shirt, sparking a melee in the penalty area.

DERMOT SAYS: “You need your colleagues to be mindful of what is going on. The referee is going after Timber and he wants to make sure he gets the right player who committed the tackle, that’s why he goes towards him as he doesn’t want to lose sight of him.

“Once you go towards that incident, you close your peripheral vision, so you miss things, you need your colleagues to be mindful and you need your colleagues to mop up – and by mop up, I mean make sure there hasn’t been an act of violent conduct because they can’t give yellow cards, they can only give reds.”

Bournemouth 0-1 Chelsea

INCIDENT: Referee Anthony Taylor hands out 14 yellow cards, aiding a new Premier League record of 65 bookings in a single weekend.

DERMOT SAYS: “He set his stall out early and so he’s forced to continue, which he did. The first yellow was for delaying restart so he was hamstrung then. Once he started booking players for fouls, he had to keep going.”

INCIDENT: Taylor awarded Bournemouth a penalty after Blues goalkeeper Robert Sanchez brought down Evanilson in the box.

DERMOT SAYS: “It’s a definite penalty. You have to judge whether the ‘keeper makes a genuine attempt to the ball – he does go towards the ball.

“The ball is going wide, it’s never going into the goal [so no red]. The keeper doesn’t do a lot wrong apart from blocking him off but you’ve got to give the penalty.”

INCIDENT: Taylor doesn’t show Lewis Cook a second yellow card for a challenge on Cole Palmer.

DERMOT SAYS: “I’d be astonished if I got sent off for that. I don’t think it’s a yellow card offence. The next card doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a second yellow, the challenge has to be worthy of a second yellow.”

Fulham 1-1 West Ham

INCIDENT: Fulham’s Adama Traore was brought down in the box by West Ham defender Max Kilman but no penalty was awarded.

DERMOT SAYS: “Referees have let a little bit more go this season – there’s physical contact but is there enough to give a penalty? The referee felt no and I think that falls in line with how they’ve adopted this season.”

STEPHEN WARNOCK SAYS: “I think it’s a penalty. As soon as you get that arm on the shoulder you have every right to go down in the box. Kilman pushes across him and pushes him off balance, I think it’s a penalty.”

Crystal Palace 2-2 Leicester

INCIDENT: Crystal Palace’s Jean-Phillippe Mateta had his goal initially flagged offside, but after a VAR review the goal was given.

DERMOT SAYS: “VAR felt he was just kept onside. The only authority we’ve got is the technology until semi-automated comes.

“The line says he’s just onside, that’s all we can go on. Every team plays to the same technology, if it says onside it’s onside if it says off it’s off. In their view it’s factual.”

STEPHEN WARNOCK SAYS: “I understand Steve Cooper’s frustration but I don’t think you’ve got much of an argument with that second angle.”

Southampton 0-3 Man Utd

INCIDENT: Referee Stuart Attwell awarded Southampton a penalty after United’s Diogo Dalot brought down Tyler Dibling.

DERMOT SAYS: “It’s a definite foul. If you slide like that, you’ve got to get the ball and he doesn’t get the ball. I think it’s just inside the box. It’s a good decision by the referee.”

INCIDENT: Saints captain Jack Stephens is shown a straight red for a challenge on Alejandro Garnacho, where he caught the United forward on the knee with a high challenge.

DERMOT SAYS: “I don’t mind a ref taking time. I watched it live and thought it was yellow, watched the replay and thought the referee was absolutely right. Credit to the referee.”