Ref Watch: Liverpool defender Andy Robertson should not have been sent off against Fulham, says Dermot Gallagher
Ex-Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher analyses the controversial incidents from the weekend's action, including Andy Robertson's red card in Liverpool's 2-2 home draw against Fulham and the behaviour of Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri after Wolves' home defeat to Ipswich
Monday 16 December 2024 12:43, UK
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher assesses the controversial moments from the weekend's action, including Andy Robertson's red card in Liverpool's 2-2 home draw against Fulham.
Liverpool 2-2 Fulham
INCIDENT: Liverpool defender Andy Robertson is shown a straight red card after bringing down Harry Wilson for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
DERMOT SAYS: "I have had a lot of chances to look at this again and I did not think it was a red card at the time, and I still don't.
"Robertson doesn't know he's coming, he mis-controls the ball and Wilson nicks the ball. Is he in control of the ball? No. Is he going to gain control of the ball? Very doubtful because the Liverpool player is going to get their first. Is he moving towards goal? No.
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"There's are too many variables and the 'O' [in DOGSO - Denying a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity] stands for obvious and not possible.
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"Then (Raul) Jimenez has a shot and the whistle actually goes when (Virgil) Van Dijk clears the ball so it adds a lot of complications to it.
"A more palatable decision would have been a yellow card.
"If you're going to give a red card then you whistle because once you whistle you're in control of the situation. If he thinks it's a red card then just blow.
"If the referee had whistled immediately then everyone would have accepted that."
Wolves 1-2 Ipswich
INCIDENT: An irate Rayan Ait-Nouri is shown a second yellow after the full-time whistle at Molineux before being dragged off the pitch, while Wolves team-mate Matheus Cunha gets involved with an angry exchange with a member of Ipswich's backroom team after the full-time whistle.
DERMOT SAYS: "The pictures speak volumes and Craig Dawson does him [Ait-Nouri] a massive favour because he is so angry because that could have escalated to almost anything.
"Without doubt, the FA will be looking at this [Cunha's confrontation] this morning. He has elbowed the guy in the back of the head, then snatched his glasses off and it's not the reaction you expect from a player."
Man City 1-2 Man Utd
INCIDENT: Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund and Manchester City defender Kyle Walker squared up, with both players booked.
DERMOT SAYS: "It was not a good advert for football, you should not be doing it [going down like Walker did].
"I thought the referee [Anthony Taylor] did well, he did not get sucked into thinking it was something bigger than it
was, it was just a push. It was a player reacting to a push but we don't need that."
INCIDENT: Manchester United are not awarded a penalty after Hojlund goes down under a challenge by Ruben Dias.
DERMOT SAYS: "I still don't think it's a penalty, I really don't.
"The defender goes to play the ball, Hojlund sees him coming and goes over himself and it looks so much worse in slow motion.
"I just think Hojlund was happy to go down and is not interested in chasing after the ball."
Chelsea 2-1 Brentford
INCIDENT: Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella was given a second yellow card and sent off after the final whistle at Stamford Bridge.
DERMOT SAYS: "At the end of the game, everyone was pushing and shoving, and Cucurella was adopting an aggressive attitude.
"He'd just had a yellow card a minute before, so he should have known better really."
Nottingham Forest 2-1 Aston Villa
INCIDENT: Aston Villa were denied a penalty after VAR ruled Elliot Anderson's arm pull on Morgan Rogers as a "fleeting grab".
DERMOT SAYS: "I think it's a foul [by Rogers on Anderson before he enters the box] and he [Anderson] then grabs hold of him going into the box.
"I think it's then a penalty but I think the best outcome here in fairness is the VAR to recommend to the referee to go to the monitor so he has all options open. He then would have seen Rogers ripping his [Anderson's] shirt right off his back and he can then give a free-kick [to Forest].
"You've got the same net result of no penalty but people accept it better because that's actually happened."
INCIDENT: Nottingham Forest's winner against Aston Villa stands despite a possible foul on Matty Cash in the build-up.
DERMOT SAYS: "It depends who you talk to, some think it is a foul, some do not - what I would say is you can't re-referee football matches.
"The referee has a good position and says it is no foul and play on and certainly not one for VAR - if you are interfering with that, then you are going to be looking at every single incident on the field.
"I don't think it's a foul, I think he wins the ball. I don't think that's a clear and obvious error."
