Ref Watch: Trossard red, Doku escape & Man City-Arsenal flashpoints explained

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher is back with the latest Ref Watch after a busy weekend on incidents between Man City and Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Brighton, West Ham and Chelsea plus much more…

Man City 2-2 Arsenal

INCIDENT: Leandro Trossard was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for delaying the restart by kicking the ball away. Jeremy Doku had escaped punishment for a similar incident earlier in the first half.

DERMOT SAYS: “No [there can be no complaints], because it’s a foul [on Silva], there’s no doubt about that. Would the player have have kicked the ball away like that if there was no foul and pause in play?

“Most certainly not because he’s not going to pass to Martinelli like that. I feel for him because he’s gone to pull out but the damage is already done.

“We’ve already seen it earlier this season that referees are very hard on it this season. He should know better than to do it. The referees have said they’ll be hard and fast on it. You could show me one or two where they’ve got away, but by and large, referees have been very strong on this.

“If one player gets away with it, it’s not justification for another player to say ‘I’m being punished’.”

On the Doku incident: “I do not think this is kicking the ball away and delaying the restart.

“The free kick is in the wrong place. Michael Oliver is trying to move it back. Doku looks at the referee, and then toes it back to an Arsenal player to take a free kick.

“I don’t think that’s delaying the restart. That’s passing the ball back. It’s a massive difference.”

INCIDENT: Erling Haaland threw the ball against the back of Gabriel’s head after Man City’s equaliser, sparking a clash between numerous players. Haaland wasn’t punished.

DERMOT SAYS: “Running the risk of another melee. Tempers are high. It was a really tough game to referee.”

WARNOCK SAYS: “I’m fuming if it’s me but I did think it was funny. But he’s running a risk, Haaland.”

SMITH SAYS: “I’d never do anything like that – but it was quite amusing. It was like what you’d do as a child in the playground.”

INCIDENT: Kai Havertz collides into Rodri just seconds into the game. Rodri is treated but there is no punishment for Havertz or free-kick for Man City.

DERMOT SAYS: “Not the ideal start for a ref in a game like this! Is it a clash, has he deliberately done it? Only Havertz knows. It’s not a red card, so VAR can’t intervene.

“The fact he hasn’t gone with his arm raised with intensity and power… it’s like welcome to the game, I suppose!”

INCIDENT: Manchester City were furious with Arsenal’s equaliser. They felt the free kick wasn’t taken from the correct place and Kyle Walker was unhappy because he felt he was still out of position after being called over to speak with ref Michael Oliver.

DERMOT SAYS: “Because of what happens, we’ve almost got a microscope looking at this. Man City felt Walker wasn’t given time to get back into position.

“I looked at where he went back, it’s almost like a flat back four. Does he know the players to the left of him? I’m not sure.

“I wondered if he appealed for offside and when it goes in the net, it’s a big talking point because it’s a consequence.

“Did the referee give enough time? He feels like he has.”

INCIDENT: Man City claimed goalkeeper Ederson had been blocked when Gabriel headed in Arsenal’s second goal from a corner.

DERMOT SAYS: “This happened five minutes before as well. Martinelli just stands his ground and he’s got a right to be on the field.”

Brighton 2-2 Nottingham Forest

INCIDENT: Morgan Gibbs-White was sent off during Nottingham Forest’s defeat to Brighton, with the player shown a second yellow card for a tackle on Joao Pedro.

DERMOT SAYS: “When the ref says he got the ball, you think it’s a good tackle. But the fourth official has the other angle and says it’s a yellow. He’s there to assist the referee. He’s got the view and has passed on the information.

“The fourth official is an integral part of the team but the referee still holds the big say.”

WARNOCK SAYS: “When I saw that tackle I thought ‘What a brilliant challenge’. But in the first half there was a challenge right in front of the dugout and it caused a melee but ref Rob Jones didn’t give a foul. And I said what is fourth official Anthony Taylor doing. But on this occasion I think he gets involved incorrectly.

“It’s a full-blooded challenge. He takes ball and then man. And Joao Pedro is struggling with injury afterwards. But I thought it was a brilliant tackle.”

INCIDENT: Forest were awarded a penalty earlier in the game when Callum Hudson-Odoi was brought down. Right decision?

DERMOT SAYS: “I thought so, I thought it was a penalty at the time. He’s clever, he puts himself between the defender and the ball.

“The defender makes a challenge and if you do that, you have to get the ball. The only certainty if if you don’t, it’s a penalty.”

West Ham 0-3 Chelsea

INCIDENT: West Ham were denied a penalty when Wesley Fofana pulled Crysencio Summerville. VAR backed the decision saying there was no sustained contact.

DERMOT SAYS: “I think it’s a penalty. He holds him so long. It starts outside the penalty area. He holds him, he holds him, he holds him. It’s gone on too long. The dilemma for the VAR is the referee has the perfect view and says no. I think in this case it is ‘the referee’s call’.

“Is it a massive howler? Well, I think it’s a penalty so to me it’s wrong. But the VAR isn’t there to judge he’s there to decide ‘is it a massive howler’.

“Is it easier to soften the blow and send the ref to the screen? Is that what we want?”

WARNOCK SAYS: “I think it is a big error.”

SMITH SAYS: “I get the ‘high bar’ thing but it’s either a right or wrong decision – and it is wrong.”

Preston 0-0 Blackburn

INCIDENT: Blackburn’s Owen Beck was allegedly bitten by Preston’s Milutin Osmajic during a clash which saw Beck sent off. Beck told the assistant referee he had been bitten and his manager John Eustace said there was a bite mark. Was there conclusive evidence?

DERMOT SAYS: “The fact the FA are looking at it tells you everything. They’ll look at all the videos and speak to the players. You see him go towards him but you don’t actually see him bite him, but the young lad says he does.

“If found guilty, he’ll get a lengthy ban. Suarez got 10 matches, but they’ll have to prove that he’s done it.

“Beck has probably had photos taken of the bite mark. If you look at the video, the referee and the assistant are convinced that he’s adopted an aggressive attitude and that’s why it’s a yellow card.

“They haven’t seen him being bitten so they can’t take any action over that. It’s only the FA that can do that later.”

Crystal Palace 0-0 Man Utd

INCIDENT: Man Utd’s Lisandro Martinez was not sent off for a two-footed challenge against Crystal Palace’s Daichi Kamada, despite Palace boss Oliver Glasner later saying the United defender could have broken Kamada’s leg.

DERMOT SAYS: “I think that’s what saved him from getting a red card – that he didn’t make contact with the player. He’s given the referee a big decision to make. The fact he has caught the ball rather than the player has saved him.

“I sent a player off once for a dangerous tackle, who didn’t touch him. I said he doesn’t have to break his leg for it to be a red card.”

WARNOCK SAYS: “It’s a coward’s tackle. The intent is there. I think he’s very lucky.”

SMITH SAYS: “You never get taught to defend like that. That is endangering an opponent.”

Tottenham 3-1 Brentford

INCIDENT: Tottenham goalkeeper handled the ball outside his area in the win over Brentford but VAR didn’t get involved.

DERMOT SAYS: “VAR could get involved, but it has to go through the mechanics of the decision. Has he handled the ball outside the area? Definitely, the referee misses it for whatever reason.

“The first thing is has he denied an obvious goalscoring opportunity. I would say no because the player isn’t in control of the ball, could he get the ball? Possibly, but there’s a lot of players around him.

“Has he stopped a promising attack? Maybe, so it’s maximum a yellow card and not a red.

“If a goalkeeper handles outside the area, it has to have impact [for a red card]. It’s got to have an impact on the outcome of that decision.

“It’s 100 per cent not a red card… It has to be denying a goalscoring opportunity or him handling the ball when it’s bene shot at goal, denying the goal.”